“Don’t ye watch him too much. Ye want t’ keep both eyes on yer own job. Hi! Hi! Hi!” roared the enthusiastic Si as Dan lifted another high fly. “That’s a pretty one. That’s th’ ticket, Dan!” The harness-maker doubled his noisy applause and Walter turned to take his place as short-stop in the preliminary practice. He smiled as he saw that the diamond was laid out in an ordinary pasture. The lines had not been cut in the turf, and even the pitcher’s box was on the dry sward, indicated by chalk marks. As he looked about him he saw that the players were a brown and sturdy lot, but their somewhat awkward attempts to stop the ball brought once more a smile of condescension to his face. He laughed as he recalled Si Slater’s suggestion as to a game with the New Yorks, but in a brief time he was busied in his own practice. CHAPTER VI THE GAME When at last Walter and the Rodman nine came in from the field in order that the Benson players might have their share in the preliminary practice he laughed as he looked at the crowd that had assembled to watch the game. It was not much like the well-dressed assemblage that he knew was keenly watching every member of the nine when the Tait School played its great rival the Military Academy at Franklin. Automobiles then were regularly arranged back of the outfielders, the grandstand was gay with colors, and the cheers and songs, led by appointed leaders, broke in sharply on the tense silence that followed certain plays. Here, however, it was a motley crowd. Small boys were perched in the adjoining trees, awkward-appearing vehicles were standing here and there about the field, men with broad-brimmed straw hats and some with their trousers tucked inside of the tops of their high boots were eagerly watching the members of the two nines. If Walter was amused his feeling was not unkind, but the sight was so different from any he had ever seen before that perhaps his feeling was not unnatural. Moulton now stepped forward and summoned the rival captains. As Dan turned away from the brief interview he waved his hand as a signal for his players to take the field, when Walter and the other members of the Rodman nine ran to their various positions in the field. The ball at last was thrown to Dan, and as the umpire called “play ball” the game was about to begin. Dan was very deliberate as he took the ball, rolled it in the dust a moment, then stepped into the pitcher’s box and drew back his arm. “Strike!” called Moulton, as the ball lodged in Tom Richards’ hands. “That’s the way, Dan!” called Walter from his position of short-stop. Ignoring the encouragement of his friend Dan sent in a slow ball, at which the batter lunged heavily, but failed to hit. A laugh arose from the Rodman supporters at the ludicrous attempt of the batter. Before the latter had fully recovered, Dan sent a swift ball directly over the plate and Moulton called the third strike.