“Nor ever will. He’s one of those promising characters who’s always promising and never making good. Collier has sure picked a lemon this time, and it wouldn’t surprise me a lot if it cost him dear. “Now, fellows, get busy, and hammer out a couple of runs. Only need one to tie, and two to win.” All over the great stands men were rooting for runs――begging, pleading, crying for them. As Donovan stepped into his box a perfect bedlam of hoots and catcalls arose, but he was too old a bird to be affected in the least by this sort of thing. To win the game it was only necessary to hold the Blue Stockings for this inning and the next, and the clever Specter twirler looked as if shutting out his opponents was, at this precise moment, merely a matter of time with him. In baseball, as in many other things, it never pays to discount the future; which is just as well, for otherwise a good deal of thrill and excitement would be lost. The best players are certain sometimes to make mistakes, and countless games have been won or lost by little slips, so small as to pass unnoticed by the majority of spectators. Rufe Hyland, well known as a “waiter,” was the first man up. In spite of the frantic urgings of the excited fans to “Slug it out!” he delayed until he had three and two on him. Finally he hit between first and second. He should have been an easy victim at first, but, for some unaccountable reason, Rowdy Kenyon juggled the ball, and then threw low, dragging Murray off the sack. For a moment or two the entire infield resounded with sulphurous comment. When Donovan faced the next batter he was still flushed with irritation. He took revenge by fanning Larry Dalton, but during that process Hyland managed to steal second, a proceeding which did not tend to increase the pitcher’s good humor. Nevertheless, he retained a perfect grip on his feelings, and exerted his skill so well that Herman Brock whiffed fruitlessly at three balls in succession. It happened, however, that Joe Welsh, who followed, was one of the most dependable hitters in the Blue Stocking organization. His specialty was neither home runs nor three-baggers, but his skill at placing the ball had long been a source of comfort to his fellow-players. As he faced the plate, Hyland edged off second as far as he dared, and when Joe connected with the third ball pitched Rufe shot down the line like a streak. Due, no doubt, to Donovan’s skill, this was one of the rare occasions that Welsh slipped up. He had intended to dump the pill into the diamond by a bunt, but he succeeded only in sending it spinning erratically just inside the third-base line.