CHAPTER VI

THE POLE RUSH

Tom managed to strike out the next man, but the third batter knocked a two-bagger, and Kerr, who followed, sent a beautiful long fly to right field, where Jerry Jackson m.u.f.fed it. There was wild delight on the part of Pete Backus and his men when they got in three runs before Tom managed to strike out another player, retiring the side.

"Well, that's not so bad," spoke Bricktop, but there was some dubiousness in his tone.

"My pitching was b.u.m," acknowledged Tom, "but I'll do better next inning."

"Of course you will, me lad," said Captain Molloy kindly. "It's a new ground to you."

There was a confident air about Langridge when he took his position in the box and it was somewhat justified when he struck out the first two men in quick succession.

"He's doing better than I thought he would," said Sid.

"He's a good pitcher," admitted Tom honestly, for he saw that his rival had something that he himself lacked--a better control of the ball, though Tom could pitch a swifter curve.

Tom was third at the bat. Now a good pitcher is usually a notoriously bad hitter. Tom proved an exception to the rule, though perhaps he had not developed into such a good pitcher yet that it applied in his case.

He faced Langridge confidently and even smiled mockingly as a swift ball came in. Tom was a good judge of it and saw that it was going wild, so he did not attempt to strike it. His judgment was confirmed when the umpire sang out:

"Ball one!"

Langridge looked annoyed and sent in a swift one. Tom's bat met it squarely and it went well over the center fielder's head.

"Go on! go on, me brave lad!" yelled Molloy, his brogue very p.r.o.nounced.

"That's the stuff!"

"Take two bases! take two!" cried Phil.

"Make it three! make it three!" begged Sid, and three Tom made it, for he was a swift runner, and the ball rolled provokingly away from the fielder who raced after it.

"Well, you can bat, anyway, me lad," observed Molloy as Tom came in on a safe hit made by Sid a little later.

"Does that mean I can't pitch?" asked Tom with a smile.

"Not a bit of it. It only accentuates it, so to speak. You're all right--_facile princeps_ as the old Romans have it--which, being interpreted, means you can come in and sit at our training table."

Tom's side only gathered in two runs, however, and from then on up to the eighth inning the team Langridge was on held the lead, the score at the beginning of the ninth inning being 10 to 8 in favor of Backus'

men. That inning Tom and his chums rather went to pieces as regarded fielding, nor did Tom shine brilliantly in the box. He struck out two men and then he seemed to lose control of the ball. The bases were filled, two men knocking a one and two bagger respectively and another getting his walking papers. Then Tom got nervous, and just when he should have held himself well in hand to keep the score down, he gave another man a chance to amble easily to first on four b.a.l.l.s and forced in a run.

There were cries of derision from the opposing players and an ominous silence on the part of Captain Molloy and his men. The next man got a one-bagger and the player who followed him knocked a pop fly, which Molloy, who was on third, missed. The inning ended with three more runs in favor of Langridge and his mates, making the score 13 to 8.

"Six runs to win and five to tie," murmured Molloy. "Can we do it, boys?"

"Sure," said Phil Clinton confidently. Phil always fought to the last ditch. But it was not to be. Tom made one run and Sid another, but that was all. Langridge struck out his last man with the bases full and the game ended.

"I thought you were a pitcher," sneered Langridge as the teams filed off the field, and there were several laughs at Tom's expense, for he had not made a good showing in the box.

"Sure he can pitch," cried Molloy, coming to Tom's defense. "The ground was new to him, that's all."

"Rats!" retorted Langridge, and Tom was too humiliated to make a reply.

"Just the same he'll make a good pitcher," said Mr. James Lighton, the coach of the 'varsity, who had strolled out to watch the practice. "He has a swift ball, but he lacks control. We can make a first-cla.s.s pitcher of him, Molloy."

"I'm sure I hope so," murmured the red-haired youth. "We didn't do very well last year with Langridge, though he seems to have improved to-day."

"So will young Parsons," declared the coach. "You watch him. I'll take him in hand as soon as the team is in shape. He'll probably have to go on the scrub first, but he won't stay there long."

But Tom did not hear these comforting words, and it was with rather a bitter feeling in his heart that he went to his room to dress for supper.

"You'll be better next game," said Sid, trying to console him.

"Maybe there won't be any next game for me," was Tom's reply. "I saw Kerr and Langridge talking together, and I'm sure it was about me."

"That's all right. Kerr isn't going to be captain of the 'varsity."

"Are you sure?"

"Sure. I've got a straight tip. We've votes enough to elect old Kindlings Woodhouse."

And so it proved the next day, when the election was held. Dan Woodhouse received forty more ballots than did Kerr and his election, after the first test, was made unanimous, a compliment always paid. Then baseball matters began in earnest. Candidates were chosen, Coach Lighton ordered regular practice and established a training table. Tom was much chagrined when he found that he was named for pitcher on the scrub, while Langridge got the coveted place as pitcher on the 'varsity, but Sid told his chum that the scrub was but a stepping stone to the final goal. And when the coach began to take Tom in hand and give him some much-needed instruction about control Tom began to feel that, after all, perhaps he had a chance.

It was about a week later, following some rather hard practice on the diamond, that a hurried knock was heard on the door of the room occupied by Sid and Tom.

"Come," called Sid, looking up from his Latin book.

"Pole rush to-night!" cried Dutch Housenlager, poking his head in and rapidly withdrawing it, as though he feared a book would be hurled at him. "Meet on the campus at eight o'clock. Old clothes--it's going to be a hard fight."

"That's the stuff!" exclaimed Sid, throwing his book across the room.

"Come on, Tom. We'll have a battle royal with our traditional enemies, the sophs."

The pole rush was like the cane or cannon rushes held in other colleges.

Half a dozen of the strongest of the freshmen formed a circle, with linked arms about the big flag pole on the campus. About them in concentric circles their chums formed a series of defensive rings.

Then the soph.o.m.ores came at them with a rush, seeking to displace the first-year lads and arrange themselves in a circle about the pole. If they succeeded in doing this inside of fifteen minutes it meant that the freshmen could wear no college colors their first term. It was to this rush that Tom, Sid and their friends hurried when Dutch and some others went about to the various rooms sounding the rallying cry.

Out on the campus that soft spring evening was a motley crowd of students. On one side were gathered the soph.o.m.ores and on the other the freshmen.

"My, there are a lot of 'em," remarked Phil Clinton. "I shouldn't wonder but they've rung in some seniors on us."

"No, they wouldn't do that," declared Sid. "They're a big cla.s.s."

Langridge and some others were going about selecting the men who were to form the first circle about the pole. Tom and Phil, who were both st.u.r.dy lads, were chosen for this honor.

"In place! in place!" cried the impatient soph.o.m.ores.

"Line up! line up, fellows!" shouted Langridge.