Dave Porter and his Classmates/Chapter 31
CHAPTER XXXI
MORE VICTORIES—CONCLUSION
Once more Oak Hall and Rockville Academy were struggling to decide the championship. It was a clear day, and as before every nook and corner of the grand stand and bleachers was filled. In one spot were located the Porters, Jessie, Senator Morr, Mr. Lawrence, and many other friends.
It was the beginning of the fifth inning and the score stood, Rockville 5, Oak Hall 3. Plum was again at first, but Dave and Roger were on the bench as substitutes.
It had been a hard-fought battle from the first ball pitched. Each pitcher had been hit heavily, but good field work had kept the score from going higher. Shadow had made a phenomenal catch that had brought forth much applause, and Phil had brought in the third run when it looked almost certain that he would be put out.
It was Oak Hall's turn at the bat, and they did their best to score. But with a man on second and another on first, their hopes faded, and they tired, leaving the figures as before. Then Rockville took up the stick, and lined out two singles, a three-bagger, and another single before giving up, thus adding three to their tally.
"That's the way to do it!"
"Rockville is sure to take this game!"
Messmer was next to the bat, but knocked a fly to center, and another player followed with a foul that was caught by the third baseman. Then Barloe, the catcher, who had made the first run, came up with his bat.
"Hurrah for Barloe!" was the cry. "Make another this time!"
In came the ball and the batsman tried to hit it and failed. Then the sphere came in a second time, and of a sudden Barloe uttered a moan and sank to the ground.
"Barloe's hit! The ball took him under the ribs!"
The report was true, and too weak to run the injured catcher was escorted to a bench, while Roger took his place at first. By good luck the senator's son brought the run in, and he was then asked to do the catching as of old, Barloe begging to be excused.
With the runs piling up against him, Purdy was getting nervous, and in the seventh inning he seemed to go all to pieces, much to his own chagrin and the disappointment of his many friends. He allowed two singles, and then gave two men their base on balls, thus forcing in a run.
"Wake up, Purdy! You'll have to do better than that!"
"Dave Porter! Put Dave Porter in!"
"That's it! Porter! Porter! Porter!"
The cry was taken up on all sides, and Phil motioned for Purdy to retire and for Dave to come out.
"It's too bad, Purdy, old man," whispered Dave, as he passed the rattled pitcher.
"Fortune of war," was the grim and plucky answer. "I did my best. Go in and wax 'em!"
Dave might have been nervous had he allowed himself to think of what was before him. The bases were filled and nobody was out. It was certainly a trying moment, to say the least. He took his place in the box and the umpire called out "Play!" Then the ball fairly streaked over the plate.
"Strike one!"
"Hurrah! that's the way to do it!"
With the ball again in hand, Dave looked at the batter and then cast a swift glance toward third. Over to the base went the ball, and much to his surprise the runner was caught two feet off the bag.
"Runner at third out!"
What a cheering went up! All the Oak Hall supporters felt that Dave meant business, and their drooping spirits revived as if by magic.
With care the pitcher delivered one ball after another—a drop, and then one that was as straight as it was swift. The batter was struck out, and another roar went up from the Oak Hall contingent. Laura waved her banner and Jessie her handkerchief.
"Two out! Now, Porter, go after the third!"
And Dave did go after the next batter. But the fellow was a good hitter and managed to find the ball. But no run came in, and the inning was saved.
It was a victory in itself and many came up to shake Dave by the hand. But he waved them aside.
"Hold on," he said. "The game isn't over yet—and please to remember the score is four to eight against us."
In the eighth inning the Oak Hall nine managed to make two runs. In that inning Dave by clever work held the opposition down to one scratch hit which went for nothing, and received more applause. Then came the ninth inning, and in that Oak Hall tied the score, amid a yelling that could be heard a mile away. Even Doctor Clay was cheering, and in his enthusiasm Andrew Dale completely smashed the derby hat he wore.
The tenth inning opened amid a breathless silence. Oak Hall did its best to score, but failed. Then Dave walked down to the box once again, and in a manner that was certainly wonderful struck out two men after one man had been caught out on a pop fly.
Ten innings and still a tie. This was certainly a game worth seeing and nearly all the spectators were now on their feet, talking and shouting wildly.
"Now, boys, we must do something!" cried Phil.
Ben Basswood was at bat, and with two strikes called on him, Ben landed for a two-base hit. Then came a single, and taking a perilous chance Ben ran around and slid to the plate.
"A run! A run!"
"Now make it two!"
But this was not to be, and Oak Hall retired one run "to the good," as Roger said.
"Well, that's enough,—if we can hold them down in their half," said Plum. He had done some great work at first, of which he was correspondingly proud.
All eyes were on Dave when he entered the pitcher's box for the last time. He felt as if he had the responsibility of the whole game on his shoulders. He pitched quickly, almost bewildering the batters. The first man up went out on strikes and the second knocked a short fly to third. Then came a fellow named Parsons, the best hitter of the Rockville club.
"Hurrah! Parsons, show 'em where the back fence is!"
With two men out, Dave faced the batter. He sent in a low ball which Parsons tried to find—and failed. Then Parsons tried again—and failed. Then Dave sent in the swiftest ball yet pitched, giving it all the twist possible.
"Three strikes—batter out!"
And the game was won, and with it the championship of the two schools!
"Beautiful! beautiful!" cried Doctor Clay, when he came down into the field to congratulate the club. "It was the best exhibition of ball-playing I've seen in a long time."
And all the visitors to Oak Hall and many others agreed with him. Dave was the lion of the occasion, and his many friends nearly wrung his hand off. The other members of the nine also came in for a share of the praise. The Rockville boys felt their defeat keenly, but had to acknowledge that they had been beaten fairly.
As soon as he could get away from his chums, Dave sought out Laura and Jessie.
"I've got those letters," he whispered to Laura. "And I doubt if Link Merwell will ever trouble you again."
"Oh, I am so thankful, Dave!" she answered. "I'll never be so foolish again as to write letters to a person with whom I am not well acquainted."
"It was grand, Dave!" cried Jessie. "It was the best victory that could be!"
"Well, I am hoping for a greater to-morrow," answered Dave, gravely.
"You mean in school?"
"Yes."
"Well, I trust with all my heart you have your wishes fulfilled," said the girl, and her eyes told that she meant what she said.
That night late a report was whispered around the school that Link Merwell had gotten into serious trouble with Doctor Clay, and the report proved true. Angered by the way Dave had treated him, and by Plum's refusal to go with him, Link Merwell had not witnessed the ball game, but had gone to Rafferty's resort instead. Here he had smoked, drunk, and gambled, and ended by getting into a free fight with several men. One man told Horsehair of the trouble and the school driver reported at once to Doctor Clay. the doctor and Mr. Dale went after the misguided youth, and a scene followed which need not be mentioned here. The next day Link Merwell was ordered to pack his trunk and leave, and a telegram was sent to his father in the West stating that he had been expelled for violating the school rules. In his rage Merwell, before leaving, exposed the doings of both Gus Plum and Nat Poole. At once the doctor sent for Plum, and later he interviewed Poole.
It was a trying time for Gus, and he broke down completely. He mentioned what Dave had done for him, and stated he was doing his best to reform. Learning of this, the master of the school called upon Dave to tell his story, and then the depths of Merwell's depravity came out. In the end the doctor said he would give Plum another chance to redeem himself, and for this the big youth was exceedingly grateful.
For having told a falsehood about taking the boat from Bush Island, Nat Poole was given a severe lecture. He said he had wanted, several times, to explain to the doctor, but that Link Merwell had threatened to make it unpleasant for him if he did so. Because the joke had been directed against some of his fellow-students and not against Doctor Clay and Mr. Dale, Poole got off easier than might otherwise have been the case.
The closing exercises of the school were well attended. Sixteen pupils were to graduate, including several who had been Dave's warm chums. Some of these boys stood high in their class and consequently walked off with some prizes.
When the time came for the decision regarding the essays on The Past and Future of Our Country everybody was on the top-notch of expectation. All the teachers had read the various papers handed in, and they had been the subject of many comments.
"Because of the general excellence of seven of the essays," said Doctor Clay, "it has been somewhat difficult to pick out that which was the best. We have here a fine essay by Bertram Vane, another by Samuel Downs, another by Joseph Beggs, and others by Chipham Macklin, Giles Cadmore, and Devere Peterson. But there is one that seems to stand out above the others, both for its originality and its literary qualities. That essay takes the prize, and it is written by Master David Porter. Porter, will you please come forward and read your essay."
As Dave walked to the platform a round of applause was given and when he bowed there was much handclapping. Then in a clear, full voice, he read the essay on which he had spent so much thought and labor. It was certainly a splendid piece of literary composition and was listened to with great pleasure by all. When he had finished Doctor Clay handed him the prize, and then the applause broke forth anew.
"Another victory!" whispered Roger; as Dave passed to his seat.
"Yes, and the best of them all," was Dave's reply.
Fortunately, the senator's son also won a prize, and Phil came in the third from the highest in his class, while Shadow came in fifth and Ben Basswood sixth. Even Gus Plum made a good record, much to the pleasure of his parents, who had feared at one time he would turn out a ne'er-do-well.
"Now the question is, What are we going to do during the summer vacation?" said Roger, after the exercises were over, and he and the others and their friends were indulging in refreshments on the campus.
"I am going to Asbury Park with my folks," said Luke Watson.
"And I am going to Maine," added Messmer. "My uncle has a camp there. Henshaw is going with me, and so is Macklin."
"I have an invitation for Dave," said Laura. "The Endicotts want me to come back to their ranch and bring my newly-found brother with me."
"That's fine!" cried Phil. "I'd like to try ranch life myself just for a change."
"The Endicotts' ranch is next to that owned by Merwell's father, so I have been told," added Roger. "Maybe if you go out there with Dave, you'll meet Link again."
"I never want to see that fellow again," said Dave. But this wish was not to be fulfilled, as we shall learn in the next volume of this series, to be entitled, "Dave Porter at Star Ranch; or, The Cowboy's Secret." In that volume we shall meet many of our friends again, and learn what Link Merwell did when he and Dave met once more on the boundless prairies and in the mountain canyons.
That evening the students held a grand celebration, which lasted far into the night. Bonfires were lit and the lads danced around and sang songs to their hearts' content. Shadow told half a dozen of his best stories, and two of the students distinguished themselves by giving all their schoolbooks to the flames. It was a time none of them ever forgot.
"And now for home," said Dave, the next day. "Home, and the boundless West."
And here let us leave him, and say good-by.
THE END