Mr. York cautioned Sam that he was taking too much time, and Sam, nodding untroubledly, donned his mask again and stooped behind Hanford, the Mount Placid catcher. Hanford liked a low ball and Sam saw that he didn’t get one. A strike, breast-high, went over. Then an out-shoot that might have been a strike or ball, and was judged by the umpire as the latter. Then another ball, much too high. Then a waister, that the batter struck at and missed, was followed by a foul. Sam, pulling his mask down again, laid one finger against the back of his big mitt. Porter rubbed the back of his head reflectively and, had anyone been regarding Steve Brown attentively, he would have seen that player turn slightly toward second base. Then Porter stepped forward and the ball whizzed to the plate. It was one of George’s fast, straight ones, and, while it actually crossed the centre of the plate lower than Sam wanted it to, it did the business. Hanford swung too late and missed it by inches. It thumped into Sam’s glove, was plucked forth instantly and sent, fast and true, to second. Steve was already awaiting it. Almost with one motion he caught the throw, knee-high, and swept the ball to the left. Mr. Phillips, sliding feet-first, was out by a yard! And some thirty blue-shirted youths cheered and capered! But Mount Placid had a two-run lead now and The Wigwam tried hard to cut it down in the first half of the sixth. Mr. Gifford landed on a straight ball and hit safely for two bases into far left. Then Joe Groom fouled out to first baseman. Crossbush fanned. With two out the inning seemed over, but when Murdock knocked a slow grounder across to third baseman that youth, pausing to hold the runner at second, threw wide to first and Murdock was safe. When, however, a double steal was called for a few moments later, Hanford proved too much for the success of the venture. Although Sam swung at the ball, the Mount Placid catcher side-stepped quickly and plugged to third. The decision was a close one and Sam looked sorrowfully at Mr. York when the latter waved Mr. Gifford out. Mount Placid, too, failed to get a runner across in that inning and the seventh started with the score still 3 to 1. Sam was up, having been left at bat in the sixth, and Sam wanted desperately to start something! But Mr. Williams had a slow ball that he didn’t at all like. Twice Sam tried for it and each time hit too soon. The first result was a foul that third baseman narrowly missed and the second a mighty swipe through empty air and a loud and disgusted grunt from Sam. After that, with two strikes and one ball against him, Sam let two more go by and things looked brighter. The next delivery was palpably bad and Sam, dropping his bat, trotted to first amidst the acclaim of The Wigwam boys, wishing that he had Steve’s ability to purloin bases!