United States or Singapore ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Old Robinson Sterzer, of course wouldn't hear of it. "'Not much, says he. 'I wouldn't chance your losin' that game for forty papers. You sail in and lick 'em! or words to that effect. "So the eleven was to cruise across the bay in the Greased Lightnin', Peter's little motor launch, and the rooters was to go by train later on. 'Twas Parker's idee, goin' in the launch.
Then the cheering leaders before the bleachers bellowed through their megaphones, and the students, rising to their feet, pealed out nine ringing "Waynes!" and added a roaring "Raymond!" to the end. With two out, Kern called play. Once again MacNeff was at bat. He had not made a foul in his two times up. He was at Ken's mercy, and the Wayne rooters were equally merciless.
Spirits were gloomy among the West Point rooters. Yet, within a few moments, they sat up, taking notice. Dick, with his nerves a-tingle, his eye keen, measured up the Lehigh batsman and sent in one of his old-time, famous Gridley spit-balls. It looked slow and easy. The Lehigh man swung a well-aimed crack at the ball. "Strike one," announced the umpire.
He could not throw anything but strikes, and it seemed the Spatsburg players could not make even a foul. Outside of Hurtle's work the game meant little to me. And I was so fascinated by what I saw in him that I could hardly contain myself. After the first few innings I no longer tried to. I yelled with the Rickettsville rooters. The man was a wonder. A blind baseball manager could have seen that.
"The game is lost!" "Sure." "Yale has not scored since the second inning." "That's right. She made one in the first and three in the second, and then comes four beautiful whitewashes. Harvard hasn't missed a trick, and the score is eleven to four in her favor." "Lewis, this is awful!" "Right you are, Jones. Hear those Harvard rooters whoop up! It gives me nervous prostration."
All this whirl is a carefully prepared plan, worked out by expert flim-flammers to addle the reason, scramble intellect and make of men drooling derelicts. What for? I'll tell you that Doctor Chapman and his professional rooters may roll in cheap honors, be immune from all useful labor and wax fat on the pay of those who work.
Over at one side sat a row of condemned prisoners, watching their last ball game and forgetting for a few blessed moments that the shadow of the scaffold hung over them. From other seats, the women prisoners saw the game. For four innings neither side scored. Then the "Blacks" pitcher lost his control, and the two thousand frenzied rooters cheered as man after man slid home.
The Yale rooters tried to rattle Peck, but they succeeded in rattling the batter instead, and, to their unutterable dismay and horror, he fanned at a third one, missed it, and "Batter is out!" cried the umpire. Then a great roar for Harvard went up, and the dazed freshmen from New Haven realized they were defeated after all.
Then after shaking hands with Bruce and Jiminy and two or three other scouts, he turned and entered the garage, for one of his mechanics had called him. And although Dan Dacy did not realize it, this spirit of democracy had won him ten thoroughly capable rooters, for the scouts were more than pleased with his friendship. "Say isn't he a corking fine chap," exclaimed Bruce.
The "rooters" were already in place, their leader occasionally leaped into the air like a maniac, and conducted a "yell" with a vigor that needed every muscle of his body. And suddenly the bleachers went mad and the air fluttered with banners, as the big teams rushed onto the field.
Word Of The Day