Denton had left second at the crack of the bat, and by the time the infielder regained the ball had rounded third and was tearing like a racehorse toward the plate. There was little time to get set and the hurried throw home went over the catcher's head. Denton slid feet first over the plate, scoring the run that put his team in the lead. Willis tried to make it good measure by coming close behind him, but by this time the catcher had recovered the ball and shot it back to Alvarez who was guarding the plate. He nipped Willis by three feet and the side was out. But that one run in the lead looked as big as a house at that stage in the game. "All you've got to do now, Hamilton, old man, is to hold them down in their half," said Brennan. "Cinch," grinned Hamilton. "I'll have them eating out of my hand." But the uncertainty that makes the national game the most fascinating one in the world was demonstrated when the Denver team came in to do-or-die in their half of the ninth. Hamilton fed the first batter a snaky curve, which he lashed at savagely but vainly. The next was a slow one and resulted in a chop to the infield which Larry would have ordinarily gobbled up without trouble. But the ball took an ugly bound just as he was all set for it and went over his head toward right. Before Curry could get the ball the batter had reached second and the stands were once more in an uproar. The uproar increased when Hamilton, somewhat shaken by the incident, gave the next batter a base on balls, and the broad smiles which had suffused the faces of Robbie and McRae began to fade. "Is Hamilton going up, do you think?" asked the Giant manager, anxiously. "Looks something like it," replied Robbie, "but he'll probably brace. You see Denton's talking to him now, to give him a chance to rest up a little." The third baseman had strolled over to Hamilton on pretense of discussing some point of play, but the crowd saw through the subterfuge, and shouts of protest went up: "Hire a hall!" "Write him a letter!" "Play ball!" Not a bit flustered by the shouts, Denton took his time, and after encouraging his team mate sauntered slowly back to his position. But Hamilton's good right arm had lost its cunning. His first ball was wild, and the batter, seeing this, waited him out and was given a pass. His comrades moved up and the bags were full, with none out and the heaviest sluggers of the team coming to the bat. McRae and Brennan had been holding an earnest conference, and now on a signal from them Hamilton came in from the box. "It's no use," said McRae to Brennan, while the crowd howled in derision. "We'll have to play our trump and put Matson in to hold them down." "But he hasn't warmed up," said Brennan dubiously. "That makes no difference," replied McRae. "I'd rather put him in cold than anyone else warm." "All right; do as you please," responded the other manager.