toward night the heavy fog that had rested like a pall over fairhaven island all day lifted and retreated toward the open sea. at sunset the sky was bespangled with dainty clouds, which were tinted a hundred beautiful shades of such colors as no artist can reproduce. although on the mainland it was muggy and hot, out there on fairhaven island there was a gentle breeze, and twilight drew on softly and silently.
after supper, dick and his friends sat chatting on the veranda of the central hotel. garrett was there, and bart hodge was comfortably deposited in a big rocking-chair. singleton sprawled on a seat, and taken altogether the lads presented a picture of ease and laziness.
“dern my picter!” tubbs suddenly squealed. “i bet a good squash pie that something besides the fog kept old hammerswell from bringing his team over here to-day. said while there was such a fog he couldn’t get the bo’t he’d engaged to make the trip, but i don’t believe it.”
“you’re tut-tut-too wise!” exclaimed chip jolliby. “what dud-dud-dud-dud-do you believe?”
“i bet, by jim, that there was another reason why he didn’t come! i bet he’s going to have new players.”
at this many of the boys laughed.
“he’s had too many new players already,” declared earl gardner. “that’s what’s kept him down. he kept shifting his team round early in the season, and it’s a wonder he did as well as he did. since getting that bunch from the northeastern league he’s made no changes and had better success. it will be a hot finish, no matter how it comes out. why, if maplewood could win both games to-morrow she’d take first place! if she loses both games she’ll go to the bottom. i tell you that’s the way to have things stand near the end of the baseball season. it keeps up the excitement.”
dick had been writing and figuring on a slip of paper. while thus engaged he was making out the standing of the various teams in the league, and this he now passed round for the boys to inspect.
“you will see, fellows,” he said, “that only twelve points separate the bottom team from the one at the top. that’s close enough to make it a heap exciting, as buckhart would remark.”
“hit’s halmost too close for comfort, don’t you know,” observed billy bradley. “hif we lose both games to-morrow—hoh, my!”
“we won’t lose them both,” declared buckhart, suddenly starting up and swinging his fist in the air. “we’ll die right on the field before we’ll lose them both.”
“it’s up to us, boys,” said dick, “to win both those games. it’s the only way we can be sure that rockford will not beat us out to-morrow. if we win both of them, even though rockford takes a fall out of seaslope, we’ll be tied for first place. if we win both of them and seaslope happens to defeat rockford, we’ll have the pennant to-morrow night.”
“oh, how sad that would make me feel!” cried ted smart.
then he dodged as chip jolliby swung a backhand blow at him with his long arm.
“is it a sure thing,” inquired owen bold, “that we are to play two games to-morrow? has maplewood agreed to it?”
“it’s a sure thing,” nodded dick. “i talked to hammerswell myself by phone, and he has agreed to wind up by playing both games to-morrow afternoon. how’s your wing, owen?”
“i think it’s back in shape,” was the answer. “this fog to-day was rather bad for it, but i have it protected. i am caring for it as if it were a baby. never bothered about my arm before, but this climate is too much for it. i am going to let it out to-morrow, if i never pitch another game. your brother sent me down here to help you win the pennant, and i should hate to have him hear that you had lost it through my weakness on the slab in the last game i pitched for you.”
“i wish frank could be here to see those games!” exclaimed bart hodge. “i know he wanted to. if you can win out, dick, we’ll wire him a cheerful message to-morrow night.”
“we’re going to win if it’s in us to do so,” asserted young merriwell. “if we can tie with rockford for first place, we will fight it out by playing an extra game to decide things.”
“oh, my!” said ted smart, “what a calm, quiet sort of a game that would be! i don’t believe any one would come out to see it! we’d have to play to empty benches!”
“there will be no empty benches to-morrow,” said dick. “let’s roll in now and get plenty of sleep.”
the fairhaven team retired that night earlier than any previous night during the season.
