through the infield.
He blistered the first pitch over second base and made it to first in plenty of time, but that was because the throw-in was
to second and from second to home in an attempt to get Bogy. Bogy scored, but Luther didn’t take any chances. He stayed on
first.
Leo Sweetman got to first on an error and Luther waddled to second. A throw to get Luther was wild, so Luther continued to
third. The throw-in from the Barracudas’ outfielder was also wild and the coach waved Luther in. Luther scored standing up
and received an ovation almost as loud as Skeeter’s had been.
He was sweating and breathing hard as he walked to the dugout, a big smile on his pumpkin-round face.
“You ol’ speedster!” Joey Spry said, slapping Luther on the knee. “You can really move!”
“Like a bullet!” Skeeter added, laughing.
Nick and Tip both flied out to end the inning. The Milky Ways had scored three runs, putting them in front 5 to 4. Tommy Scott
replaced Skeeter in left field and hauled in two high flies to help keepthe Barracudas from scoring. He struck out at the plate, at which Shadow gave Skeeter a nudge with his elbow.
“He can catch a fly,” Shadow said softly, “but he can’t hit worth beans.”
The game ended with the score remaining 5 to 4.
Skeeter picked up his glove and walked off the field with Shadow. Presently an arm encircled him and a strong, cheerful voice
boomed, “Nice game, Skeeter! Three for three! And a homer to boot! What an eye you must have!”
It was Bob, his brother, a freshman next year in college.
Shadow chuckled. “Not one, but two real good ones,” he added.
Then Mom and Dad came along. They always came to see Skeeter play, even though neither of them understood much about baseball.
Dad didn’t care for sports, exceptfishing and hunting. Mom liked to sew. Half of Skeeter’s, Bob’s, and Dad’s shirts were sewn by her own hands. And she sewed
without the use of eyeglasses. Skeeter figured that he owed his good eyesight to his mother.
Thinking about Dad’s hunting reminded Skeeter of the letter they had received from Aunt Arlene and Uncle Don in Spring City,
Idaho. “Remember your promise that you were coming out this summer during Josh’s two week’s vacation,” Aunt Arlene had written.
“Let us know when that is so that Don can make arrangements to take his vacation at the same time …”
So Mom and Dad had talked it over and decided they’d go. In a way Skeeter could hardly wait to see them and his cousins again.
Except that he’d have to leave Gus …
Mom, Dad, and Bob rode home in Dad’s car, Skeeter and Shadow on their bikes. Theboys talked about the game, the number of hits the Milky Ways had gotten and the number of strike-outs Shadow had. Neither
of them saw the dog, a Mexican Chihuahua, come rushing out from between the bushes.
It started barking as it reached the sidewalk, a loud
woof! woof! woof!
It was hard to imagine that such a small animal could make such a loud noise.
But it had begun barking too late. Skeeter didn’t see it in time. He swerved the front wheel to prevent hitting the tiny dog.
The wheel struck the animal and rolled over one of its hind legs. The dog yelped and then lay there, whimpering in pain.
Horror swept through Skeeter. He jumped off the bike, ran back and knelt beside the injured animal. Shadow knelt beside him.
“That’s Pancho, Tommy Scott’s dog,” Shadow said. “Boy, will he be upset!”
3
S keeter realized that they were right in front of Tommy Scott’s house. Had Pancho’s cry been heard? Would someone be running
out of the house within the next few seconds?
No one appeared. He glanced at the yellow house next to it. A trim hedgerow bordered the driveway leading to a garage in the
rear, and a blue spruce rose elegantly near the center of the small front lawn. It was Roger Hyde’s house. In a short while
both boys would be coming home from the ball park.
“What’re
He blistered the first pitch over second base and made it to first in plenty of time, but that was because the throw-in was
to second and from second to home in an attempt to get Bogy. Bogy scored, but Luther didn’t take any chances. He stayed on
first.
Leo Sweetman got to first on an error and Luther waddled to second. A throw to get Luther was wild, so Luther continued to
third. The throw-in from the Barracudas’ outfielder was also wild and the coach waved Luther in. Luther scored standing up
and received an ovation almost as loud as Skeeter’s had been.
He was sweating and breathing hard as he walked to the dugout, a big smile on his pumpkin-round face.
“You ol’ speedster!” Joey Spry said, slapping Luther on the knee. “You can really move!”
“Like a bullet!” Skeeter added, laughing.
Nick and Tip both flied out to end the inning. The Milky Ways had scored three runs, putting them in front 5 to 4. Tommy Scott
replaced Skeeter in left field and hauled in two high flies to help keepthe Barracudas from scoring. He struck out at the plate, at which Shadow gave Skeeter a nudge with his elbow.
“He can catch a fly,” Shadow said softly, “but he can’t hit worth beans.”
The game ended with the score remaining 5 to 4.
Skeeter picked up his glove and walked off the field with Shadow. Presently an arm encircled him and a strong, cheerful voice
boomed, “Nice game, Skeeter! Three for three! And a homer to boot! What an eye you must have!”
It was Bob, his brother, a freshman next year in college.
Shadow chuckled. “Not one, but two real good ones,” he added.
Then Mom and Dad came along. They always came to see Skeeter play, even though neither of them understood much about baseball.
Dad didn’t care for sports, exceptfishing and hunting. Mom liked to sew. Half of Skeeter’s, Bob’s, and Dad’s shirts were sewn by her own hands. And she sewed
without the use of eyeglasses. Skeeter figured that he owed his good eyesight to his mother.
Thinking about Dad’s hunting reminded Skeeter of the letter they had received from Aunt Arlene and Uncle Don in Spring City,
Idaho. “Remember your promise that you were coming out this summer during Josh’s two week’s vacation,” Aunt Arlene had written.
“Let us know when that is so that Don can make arrangements to take his vacation at the same time …”
So Mom and Dad had talked it over and decided they’d go. In a way Skeeter could hardly wait to see them and his cousins again.
Except that he’d have to leave Gus …
Mom, Dad, and Bob rode home in Dad’s car, Skeeter and Shadow on their bikes. Theboys talked about the game, the number of hits the Milky Ways had gotten and the number of strike-outs Shadow had. Neither
of them saw the dog, a Mexican Chihuahua, come rushing out from between the bushes.
It started barking as it reached the sidewalk, a loud
woof! woof! woof!
It was hard to imagine that such a small animal could make such a loud noise.
But it had begun barking too late. Skeeter didn’t see it in time. He swerved the front wheel to prevent hitting the tiny dog.
The wheel struck the animal and rolled over one of its hind legs. The dog yelped and then lay there, whimpering in pain.
Horror swept through Skeeter. He jumped off the bike, ran back and knelt beside the injured animal. Shadow knelt beside him.
“That’s Pancho, Tommy Scott’s dog,” Shadow said. “Boy, will he be upset!”
3
S keeter realized that they were right in front of Tommy Scott’s house. Had Pancho’s cry been heard? Would someone be running
out of the house within the next few seconds?
No one appeared. He glanced at the yellow house next to it. A trim hedgerow bordered the driveway leading to a garage in the
rear, and a blue spruce rose elegantly near the center of the small front lawn. It was Roger Hyde’s house. In a short while
both boys would be coming home from the ball park.
“What’re
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