He was mistaken.

Hugh started in without delay feeding them some of what the boys were pleased to denominate his “teasers.”  He soon had them hitting at thin air with might and main, and looking surprised because they failed to connect.

One man, then two, went out on strikes, and neither had touched the elusive “fade-away” ball made famous by Christy Matthewson in his prime.

The crowd sat up and began to take notice.  What did it mean?  If Hugh could only keep up his good work by varying his offerings, so as to keep those slugging Allandale fellows guessing, and Scranton began to knock the ball around a little on their own account, why, there might be something like a good game yet.

The third man got a hit which should really have been an out, for “K.K.,” reliable “K.K.,” out in deep center, misjudged the blow, and started to run back, when he should have shot forward instantly.  He could have scooped it up three feet from the ground had he done so; and while he did manage to keep the ball from getting past, the batter gained first.

However, he died there, for Hugh deceived the next fellow as he had done two previous batters, and the side was out.  When the eighth inning ended the score was four to six, not so very bad.  The local rooters got busy, and gave Hugh a round of hearty cheers when he toed the mark in the box again.

Allandale did get a run in this frame, but still Hugh struck two men out.  And in their half of the eighth Scranton also tallied, making the score read four to seven.  Then came the last inning.  Hugh exerted himself to the utmost.  One batter failed to connect, but the next got in a blow that netted him two bases.

Hugh kept cool and managed to deceive the next one.  Then came a mighty heave and when Juggins in far right was seen running like mad it looked as if Allandale had clinched another brace of runs then and there.  But Horatio proved himself to be a hero, for he gobbled that drive, and the side was extinguished with no damage done.

Scranton tried with might and main to do something wonderful in their last half of the final inning.  Indeed, with two out and three on bases it looked as if there might be a fair chance, since a wallop would mean three runs to tie the score, and if Joe Danvers could only get in one of his occasional “homers” it would break up the game in favor of the local team.

Joe did connect and drove out a great hit, but alas! for the eccentricities of baseball, Whipple over in right had seen fit to play far back, and after quite a gallop he managed to clutch the ball and hold it.

Of course that gave Allandale the game.  The Scranton boys seemed pretty “sore” over their first defeat, but considering the hard luck that had been their portion, they felt that they had not done so badly after all.

“Just wait!” they told the laughing Allandale fellows, “there’s another day coming when you’ll have to face Alan Tyree; and the chances are two to one you’ll not find that boy such easy picking.  You’re in great luck today, Allandale; so make the most of it.  He laughs longest who laughs last; and Scranton is wagering dollars to doughnuts that it’ll be our turn next!”