CHAPTER XI — A GAME OF BALL

 "Come here," said Conrad Fletcher; "come here, Charlie, and choose up for a game. We must make haste, or recess¹ will be over."

 

"All right, Conrad."

 

The first choice devolved upon Conrad. He chose Ephraim Pinkham, noted² as a catcher.

 

"I take Elmer Rhodes," said Charlie.

 

"John Parker," said Conrad.

 

"Henry Strauss."

 

"Godfrey Preston," was Conrad's next choice.

 

"Can you play, Andy?" asked Charlie.

 

"Yes," said Andy.

 

"Then, I take you."

 

"I've a good mind to resign," said Godfrey, in a low voice, to Ben Travers. "I don't fancy playing with that Irish boy."

 

However, he was too fond of playing to give up his place, notwithstanding his antipathy³ to Andy.

 

Charlie Fleming's side went in first, and Charlie himself went to the bat. The pitcher⁴ was Godfrey. He was really a fair pitcher, and considered himself very superior. Charlie finally succeeded in hitting the ball, but rather feebly, and narrowly escaped losing his first base. He saved it, however.

 

Next at the bat was Elmer Rhodes. He hit one or two fouls⁶, but not a fair ball. Finally he was put out on three strikes; meanwhile, however, Charlie Fleming got round to third base. Henry Strauss succeeded in striking the ball, but it was caught by center field, rapidly sent to first base, before Henry could reach it, then thrown to the catcher in time to prevent Charlie Fleming from getting in. He ran half-way to home base, but seeing his danger, ran back to third base. Next Andy took the bat.

 

"Knock me in, Andy," called out Charlie Fleming.

 

"All right" said Andy, quietly.

 

"Not if I can prevent it," said Godfrey to himself, and he determined⁷ by sending poor balls, to get our hero out on three strikes. The first ball, therefore, he sent about six feet to the right of the batter⁸. Andy stood in position, but, of course, was far too wise to attempt hitting any such ball. The next ball went several feet above his head. Of this, too, he took no notice. The third would have hit him if he had not dodged⁹.

 

"Why don't you knock at the balls?" asked Godfrey.

 

"I will, when you give better ones," said Andy, coolly.

 

"I don't believe you know how to bat," said Godfrey, with a sneer¹⁰.

 

"I don't believe you know how to pitch," returned Andy.

 

"How's that?" sending another ball whizzing by his left ear.

 

"I want them waist-high," said Andy. "My waist is about two feet lower than my ears."

 

Godfrey now resolved to put in a ball waist-high, but so swiftly that Andy could not hit it; but he had never seen Andy play. Our hero had a wonderfully quick eye and steady hand, and struck the ball with such force to left field, that not only Charlie Fleming got in, without difficulty, but Andy himself made a home run.

 

"That's a splendid hit," exclaimed Charlie, with enthusiasm. "I didn't think you could play so well."

 

"I've played before to-day," said Andy, composedly. "I told you I would get you in, and I meant what I said."

 

Godfrey looked chagrined¹¹ at the result. He meant to demonstrate that Andy was no player, but had only contributed to his brilliant success; for, had he not sent in so swift a ball, the knock would not have been so forcible.

 

As there were but six on a side, two outs were considered all out.

 

"Who will catch?" asked Charlie Fleming; "I want to pitch."

 

"I will," said Andy.

 

"All right! If you can catch as you can bat, we'll cut down their score."

 

Andy soon showed that he was no novice¹² at catching¹³. He rarely let a ball pass him. When Godfrey's turn came to bat, one was already out, and Andy determined to put Godfrey out if it was a possible thing. One strike had been called, when Godfrey struck a foul⁵ which was almost impossible to catch. But now Andy ran, made a bound into the air, and caught it—a very brilliant piece of play, by which Godfrey and his side were put out. The boys on both sides applauded, for it was a piece of brilliant fielding which not one of them was capable of. That is, all applauded but Godfrey. He threw down his bat spitefully, and said to Fleming:

 

"You didn't give me good balls."

 

"I gave you much better than you gave Andy," said Charlie.

 

"That's so!" chimed in two other boys.

 

"I won't play any more," said Godfrey.

 

Just then the bell rang, so that the game was brought to a close. Andy received the compliments of the boys on his brilliant playing. He received them modestly, and admitted that he probably couldn't make such a catch again. It was very disagreeable to Godfrey to hear Andy praised. He was rather proud of his ball-playing, and he saw that Andy was altogether his superior, at any rate in the opinion of the boys. However, he ingeniously contrived¹⁴ to mingle¹⁵ a compliment with a sneer.

 

"You're more used to baseball than to books," he said.

 

"True for you," said Andy.

 

"You're a head taller than any of the boys in your class."

 

"I know that," said Andy. "I haven't been to school as much as you."

 

"I should be ashamed if I didn't know more."

 

"So you ought," said Andy, "for you've been to school all your life. I hope to know more soon."

 

"Anyway, you can play ball," said Charlie Fleming.

 

"I'd rather be a good scholar."

 

"I'll help you, if you want any help."

 

"Thank you, Charlie."

 

They had now entered the schoolroom, and Andy took up his book and studied hard. He was determined to rise to a higher class as soon as possible, for it was not agreeable to him to reflect that he was the oldest and largest boy in his present class.

 

"Very well," said the teacher, when his recitation was over. "If you continue to recite in this way, you will soon be promoted."

 

"I'll do my best, sir," said Andy, who listened to these words with pleasure.

 

"I wish you were coming in the afternoon, too, Andy," said his friend, Charlie Fleming, as they walked home together.

 

"So do I, Charlie, but I must work for my mother."

 

"That's right, Andy; I'd do the same in your place. I haven't such foolish ideas about work as Godfrey Preston."

 

"He ain't very fond of me," said Andy, laughing.

 

"No; nor of anybody else. He only likes Godfrey Preston."

 

"We got into a fight the first day I ever saw him."

 

"What was it about?"

 

"He called my mother names, and hit me. So I knocked him flat."

 

"You served him right. He's disgustingly conceited¹⁶. Nobody likes him."

 

"Ben Travers goes around with him all the time."

 

"Ben likes him because he is rich. If he should lose his property, you'd see how soon he would leave him. That isn't a friend worth having."

 

"I've got one consolation," said Andy, laughing; "nobody likes me for my money."

 

"But someone likes you for yourself, Andy," said Charlie.

 

"Who?"

 

"Myself, to be sure."

 

"And I like you as much, Charlie," said Andy, warmly. "You're ten times as good a fellow as Godfrey."

 

"I hope so," said Charlie. "That isn't saying very much, Andy."

 

So the friendship was cemented, nor did it end there. Charlie spoke¹⁷ of Andy's good qualities at home, and some time afterward¹⁸ Andy was surprised by an invitation to spend the evening at Dr. Fleming's. He felt a little bashful, but finally went—nor was he at all sorry for so doing. The whole family was a delightful¹⁹ one, and Andy was welcomed as a warm friend of Charlie's, and, in the pleasant atmosphere of the doctor's fireside, he quite forgot that there was one who looked down upon him as an inferior being.

 

Dr. Fleming had himself been a poor boy. By a lucky chance—or Providence²⁰, rather—he had been put in the way of obtaining an education, and he was not disposed now, in his prosperity, to forget his days of early struggle.

 

Andy found that, in spite of the three hours taken up at school, he was able to do all that was required of him by the Misses Grant. They were glad to hear of his success at school, and continued to pay him five dollars a week for his services. This money he regularly carried to his mother, after paying for the new clothes, of which he stood so much in need.

1 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 antipathy   

n.憎恶；反感，引起反感的人或事物

参考例句：

• I feel an antipathy against their behaviour.我对他们的行为很反感。
• Some people have an antipathy to cats.有的人讨厌猫。

4 pitcher   

n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手

参考例句：

• He poured the milk out of the pitcher.他从大罐中倒出牛奶。
• Any pitcher is liable to crack during a tight game.任何投手在紧张的比赛中都可能会失常。

5 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

6 fouls   

n.煤层尖灭；恶劣的( foul的名词复数 )；邪恶的；难闻的；下流的v.使污秽( foul的第三人称单数 )；弄脏；击球出界；（通常用废物）弄脏

参考例句：

• The player was sent off the field because of fouls. 这名运动员因屡屡犯规而被罚下场。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Jones was ordered off in the second half after repeated fouls. 由于屡次犯规，琼斯在下半场中被责令退出比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

8 batter   

v.接连重击；磨损；n.牛奶面糊；击球员

参考例句：

• The batter skied to the center fielder.击球手打出一个高飞球到中外野手。
• Put a small quantity of sugar into the batter.在面糊里放少量的糖。

9 dodged   

v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避

参考例句：

• He dodged cleverly when she threw her sabot at him. 她用木底鞋砸向他时，他机敏地闪开了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He dodged the book that I threw at him. 他躲开了我扔向他的书。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 sneer   

v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语

参考例句：

• He said with a sneer.他的话中带有嘲笑之意。
• You may sneer,but a lot of people like this kind of music.你可以嗤之以鼻，但很多人喜欢这种音乐。

11 chagrined   

adj.懊恼的，苦恼的v.使懊恼，使懊丧，使悔恨( chagrin的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I was most chagrined when I heard that he had got the job instead of me. 当我听说是他而不是我得到了那份工作时懊恼极了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was [felt] chagrined at his failure [at losing his pen]. 他为自己的失败 [遗失钢笔] 而感到懊恼。 来自辞典例句

12 novice   

adj.新手的，生手的

参考例句：

• As a novice writer,this is something I'm interested in.作为初涉写作的人，我对此很感兴趣。
• She realized that she was a novice.她知道自己初出茅庐。

13 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

14 contrived   

adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的

参考例句：

• There was nothing contrived or calculated about what he said.他说的话里没有任何蓄意捏造的成分。
• The plot seems contrived.情节看起来不真实。

15 mingle   

vt.使混合，使相混；vi.混合起来；相交往

参考例句：

• If we mingle with the crowd,we should not be noticed.如果我们混在人群中，就不会被注意到。
• Oil will not mingle with water.油和水不相融。

16 conceited   

adj.自负的，骄傲自满的

参考例句：

• He could not bear that they should be so conceited.他们这样自高自大他受不了。
• I'm not as conceited as so many people seem to think.我不像很多人认为的那么自负。

17 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

18 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

19 delightful   

adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的

参考例句：

• We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
• Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

20 providence   

n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝

参考例句：

• It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
• To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。