heady puzzled them even more, however, by scratching off just such another measly bunt as his brother had failed with, and when he was put out at first sleepy and tug realized that their running had been in vain. sleepy thought of the terrific inconvenience the struggle for the three bases had caused him, and was almost sorry that he had not struck out in the first place. the charleston right-fielder opened the third inning with a graceful fly just this side the right-fielders reach, in that field where base-hits seem to grow most plentifully. the kingston center-fielder was presented with a base on balls, which forced the right-fielder to second base. now reddy recovered sufficiently to strike out the next charleston batter, though the one after him sent into right field a long, low fly, which the kingston right-fielder caught on the first bound, and hurled furiously to third base to head off the charleston runner. the throw was wild, and a sickening sensation went through the hearts of all as they saw it hurtle past the third baseman. the charleston runner rejoiced, and giving the bag a mere touch with his foot, started gaily for home. a warning cry from his coach, however, checked him in full speed, and he whirled about to see that sleepy, foreseeing the throw from right-field as soon as the ball left the bat, had sauntered over behind the third baseman, had stopped the wild throw, and now stood waiting for the base-runner to declare his intention before he threw the ball. the charlestonian made a quick dash to get back to third; but sleepy had the ball in the third basemans hands before him. now the third baseman saw that the second kingston runner had also been wavering uncertainly between second and third, ready to reach third if sleepy threw for home, and to return to second if he threw to third. the third baseman started toward the runner, making many pretenses of throwing the ball, and keeping the poor base-runner on such a razor-edge of uncertainty that he actually allowed himself to be touched out with barely a wriggle. this double play retired the side. it was credited to the third baseman; but the real glory belonged to sleepy, and the crowd gave him the applause. once more sawed-off towered at the bat. he was willing to take another bruise if he could be assured of getting to first base; but the pitcher was so wary of striking him this time that he gave him his base on balls, and sawed-off lifted his hat to him in gratitude for this second gift. the center-fielder knocked a fly into the hands of the first baseman, who stood on the bag. sawed-off barely escaped falling victim to a double play by beating the fly to first. again jumbo labored mightily to advance sawed-off, and did indeed get him to second on a well-situated base-hit. the next kingstonian, however, the third baseman, knocked to the second baseman a bee-liner that was so straight and hot that the second baseman could neither have dodged nor missed it had he tried; so he just held on to it, and set his foot on the bag, and caught sawed-off before he could get back to the base. the fourth inning was opened by a charlestonian, who sent a singing fly right over sawed-offs head. he seemed to double his length like a jack-knife. when he shut up again, however, the ball was not in his hand, but down in the right-field. it was a master stroke, but, worth only one base to charleston. the second man at the bat fell prey to reddys bewildering curves, and reddy heard again that sweetest sound a pitcher can hear, the umpires voice crying: strikerout! the charlestonian who had lined out the beautiful base-hit proved himself the possessor of a pair of heels as good as his pair of eyes, and just as reddy had declared by his motions such a readiness to pitch the ball that he could not have changed his mind without being declared guilty of a balkjust at that instant the charlestonian dashed madly for second base. heady snatched off his mask and threw the ball to second with all the speed and correctness he was master of; but the throw went just so far to the right that tug, leaning far out, could not recover himself in time to touch the runner. [illustration: strikerout!] these two now began to play a game of hide-and-seek about second base, much to reddys discomfort. there is nothing so annoying to a pitcher as the presence of a courageous and speedy base-runner on the second base; for the pitcher has always the threefold terror that in whirling suddenly he may be found guilty of balking, or in facing about quickly he may make a wild throw; and yet if he does not keep a sharp eye in the back of his head, the base-runner can play off far enough to stand a good chance of stealing third safely. reddy engaged in this three-cornered duel so ardently that before he knew it he had given the man at the bat a base on balls. this added to his confusion, and seeing at the bat the charleston catcher who had in the second inning knocked out a perfect base-hit and made two bases on it, reddy left the wily fox at second base to his own devices, and paid no heed to tugs efforts to beat the man back to second. suddenly the fellow made a dart for third; though headys throw was straight and swift, the fellow dived for the base, and slid into safety under the ball. in the shadow of this dash the other charleston base-runner took second base without protest. the charleston catcher was evidently determined to bring in at least one run, or die trying. he smashed at every ball that reddy pitched. he only succeeded, however, in making a number of fouls. but reddy shuddered for the score when he realized how well the charleston catcher was studying his best curves. suddenly the man struck up a sky-scraping foul. everybody yelled at once: over your head! and heady, ripping away his mask again, whirled round and round, trying to find the little globule in the dazzling sky. he gimleted all over the space back of the plate before he finally made out the ball coming to earth many feet in front of him. he made a desperate lunge for it and caught it. and reddys groan of relief could be heard clear from the pitchers box. the charleston catcher, in a great huff, threw his bat to the ground with such violence that it broke, and he gave way to the second baseman, who had made a sacrifice hit in the second inningwhich advanced the catcher one base. the man realized, however, that a sacrifice in this inning, with two men already out, would not be so advantageous as before. he made an heroic attempt, resulting in a clean drive that hummed past reddy like a mauser bullet, and chose a path exactly between jumbo and tug. it was evident that no kingston man could stop it in time to throw either to first base or home ahead of a charleston man; but since kingston could not put the side out before a run was scored, the charlestonians cheerfully consented to put themselves out; that is, the base-runner on second, making a furious dash for third, ran ker-plunk into the ball, which recorded itself on his funny-bone. when he fell to the ground yelping with torment, i am afraid that the kingstonians showed little of the good samaritan spirit, for the ball-nine and the kingston sympathizers in the crowd indulged in a jubilation such as a roman throng gave vent to when a favorite gladiator had floored some new savage. the kingston men came in from the field arm in arm, but it was not long before they were once more sauntering out into the field, for not one of them reached first base. a game without runs is not usually half so interesting to the crowd as one in which there is free batting and a generous sprinkling of runs. the average spectator is not sport enough to feel sorry for the pitcher when a home run has been knocked over the fence, or to feel sorry for a fielder who lets a ball through his fingers and sends the base-runners on their way rejoicing. to your thorough sport, though, a scientific, well-balanced game is the most interesting. he likes to see runs earned, if scored at all, and has sympathy but no interest for a pitcher who permits himself to be knocked out of the box