Barrows raced to first, while
Tillinghast, the base-runner, took second, without trouble, but stumbled
and fell, so that it was impossible for him to make another bag on the
hit.
Badger next tried his highest speed, and the batter fanned, but Ready
dropped and fumbled the ball, being unable to hold it, and came very
near letting both runners advance, although he did get the sphere down
to third in time to drive them back.
Watching closely, Frank had discovered that something about Badger's
delivery bothered Ready. Badger himself saw this, and he tried a change
of pace, but the batter caught it on the handle of his "wagon-tongue,"
and drove out a "scratch hit" that filled the bases.
Oleson, a Swede, almost as large as Browning, came up to the plate.
"And there were giants in those days," droned Jones, from his position
in the field.
"How's that for the giant?" cried Oleson, as he slashed yet another down
into Dismal's territory, bringing in the first score and causing the
Hartford rooters to "open up."
Jones made a beautiful throw home, which sent Barrows scrambling back to
third, which he reached barely in time to save himself, for Ready had
lined it down to that bag in short order.
Frank was beginning to wonder if all the Hartford men were right-field
hitters, or was there something in Badger's pitching that caused them to
put the balls into that field? Unable to keep still, he walked down
toward first, and Browning found an opportunity to say:
"We ought to have Hodge behind the bat.
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