Page:The purple pennant (IA purplepennant00barb).pdf/298

Rh ond and first bases were occupied. Springdale's catcher was up now and he had so far proved an easy victim to Nostrand's slow ball. But this time the signs failed. With two strikes against him he managed to connect with a waister and sent it arching into short right field. Gordon started back, but it was quite evidently Breen's ball, and Breen was trotting in for it. But something happened. Perhaps the wind caught the sphere and caused the fielder's undoing. At all events, the ball went over Breen's head by several feet and two runs crossed the plate!

In the ensuing dismay and confusion the batsman slid safely to second. Springdale stood up and yelled like mad, and, after a minute of dismayed silence, Toby Sears managed to arouse the purple-decked seats to response. But the Clearfield cheering was lacking in conviction just then! Breen, feeling horribly conspicuous out there in right field, ground his fist into the palm of his glove and gritted his teeth. Captain Jones' voice came back to him cheerfully:

"Never mind that, Howard! Let's go after 'em hard now!"

And go after them hard they did, and when Newton, the subsequent batsman, slammed the ball into short center Breen was there as soon as Far-