Dan’s quick ears heard, however, and his grin broadened.  Well enough Dalzell knew that Darrin had a lot of box tricks secreted that would fool even a Prescott.

But Dick was not to be rattled, at any rate.  He picked up the bat, “hefted” it briefly, then stepped up beside the plate, ready in a few seconds after Durville had gone disconsolately back to the bench.

“I won’t try to decipher Dave’s deliveries; I’ll judge them by what they look like after the ball has started,” swiftly decided Prescott.

“Ball one!”

“Ball two!”

“Strike one!”

“Strike two!”

“Crack!”

So fast did Prescott start when that fly popped, that he was nearly half way to first base when he dropped his bat.  It was only a fly out to right field, but it was a swift one, and it struck turf before the Navy fielder could hoof it to the spot.  He caught it up, whirled, and drove straight to first, but Prescott’s toe had struck the bag a fraction of a second before.

“Runner safe at first!” called the umpire quietly.  Then the ball went back to Dave, who now had a double task of alertness, for Holmes held the bat at the plate, while Prescott was trying to steal second.  Well did Dave Darrin know the trickiness of both these Army players!

Greg, too, was cool, though a good deal apprehensive.  With him the call stood at balls three and strikes two when Greg thought he saw his real chance.

Swat!  Greg struck with all his strength, and at the sound, a cheer rose from the seats of the Army fans.  But the ball was lower than Greg had calculated, and after all his assault on the leather had resulted only in a bunt.

Navy’s pitcher took a few swift steps, then bent, straightened up and sent the ball driving to first.

“Runner out at first!”

Then indeed a wail went up.  What did it matter that Prescott had reached second?  Greg’s disaster had put the side out.  And now the Navy came back to bat.  In this half of the second, three hits were taken out of Prescott’s delivery, and at one time there were two sailors on bases.  Then the Navy went out to grass and the Army marched in for a trial.  This time, however, the Army had neither Durville, Prescott nor Holmes at the plate, and with these three best batters on the bench, Dave had the satisfaction of striking the soldiers out in one, two, three.

In the third inning neither side scored.  Then, in the fourth, with two sailors out when he came to bat, Dalzell exploded a two-bagger that brought the Navy to its feet on the benches, cheering and hat-waving.  By the time that Dan’s flying feet had kicked the first bag on the course Dave Darrin was holding the willow and standing calmly by the plate, watching.

Two of Dick’s offers, Dave let go by without heeding, one ball and one strike being called.  But Dave, though he looked sleepy, was wholly alert.  At the third offer he drove a straight, neat little bunt that was left for the Army’s second baseman.  That baseman had it in season to drive to Lanton, at Army first base.  But Dave had hit the bag first, and was safe, while Dan Dalzell was making pleased faces over at third.