The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-04-03
CHAPTER I.
THE NANR ANn FAME OF PANGS

THE NAME AND FAME OF BANGS.
A little round stone lay in the grass
in that portion of the Yale baseball
ground which is technically known as
left field. The color of the stone was
blue. Its position was exactly right,
and the grass was just long enough
to conceal it. These details had been
arranged by fate with her usual care
and foresight. If the stone had not
been round it would have been use
less; and if the grass had not been
carefully nourished by rain and sun it
would not have concealed the stone,
and somebody would have thrown it
away.
The decisive game between Harvard
and Yale had progressed as far as the
last half of the ninth inning. Yale
needed two runs to win. Two of her
men were out, and two were on the
bases. Jack Bangs was at the bat and
a responsibility larger than two full
moons rested upon his shoulders No1
body who has not been in similar
situation can know how he felt.
If an individual with horns and a
tail, and carrying blue flag as an evi!
dence of good faith, had risen beside
Jack Bangs with the presidency of the
United States in one hand and base
hit in the other, Bangs would have
struck him over the head with his bat
for insulting him with the suggestion
of a choice. But that individual did
not rise beside Bangs. Perhaps he was
out in left field watching the little
blue stone.
The Harvard pitcher tried to re-
member a short Latin prayer which
had once struck him as good thing to
use in desperate emergencies. Fail
ing in this he made several good reso-
lutions. Then he launched the ball.
He impaired to it peculiar rotary mo-
ton which caused it to leap up about a
foot just before it got to the batter.
This was done for the purpose of de-
ceiving Bangs SO that he would either
strike under the ball or send it up into
the air. Bangs bat encountered the
ball with a sound like the crack of a
rifle. The sphere scared aloft. A
dreadful din of voices rising after it
seemed to buoy it up. Ali the pretty
girls in blue cried "Yale, Yale!" But
as many of their brothers as knew the
. game were silent and their hearts were
like lead.
The Harvard pitcher felt strong
spasm of relief His ''rise" had done
the work. Bangs had batted a high
fly. The odds at that moment were a
thousand dollars to cent against
Yale, for that fly would drop into left
field, where "Infallible" Lee kept
guard for Harvard. The pitcher was
as sure that Lee would catch the ball
as he was that it would not stay up in
the sky.
Lee had to run in little way to get
under the descending ball. He was
perfectly sure of it. The game was as
good as won. Already the cry of
'Harvard!" seemed to be drowning the
cry of "Yale!" In the tempest of
shouting he distinguished his own
name with remarkable clearness. 1t
had rung out like that before in many
similar emergencies and great cheer
had always followed it. He remem-
bered suddenly that he would never
hear that thrilling call again. This
was his last effort in any college con-
test. He had borne the red II on his
breast for four glorious years, and this
was the end. Well, though it must
come, it could not come better. He
was very glad of the final opportunity.
He could think of all these things as