With the returning boys, to Poole's great relief, came the baseball coach, Mr. Lyford. The ground on the upper campus was already hard enough for practice; the regular diamond was drying. Cutting though the winds and raw and chill the atmosphere, Rob yet found it an immense relief to escape from the confining walls of the little cage into the open, where there was room to throw, and honest, abundant daylight. He had never taken kindly6 to the practice in the cage. When he tried to bat there, he had always been awkwardly conscious of those close lines of netted wall pressing upon him, of the low ceiling, of the treacherous7 shadows, of the impossibility of driving the ball anywhere, of the whole sham8 of the situation compared with the open field, where the sunlight pours down through fifty miles of atmosphere, and the wide horizon challenges the batsman to his hardest drive. Perhaps this[Pg 157] feeling was responsible for his lack of success as a cage batsman; perhaps he hated the cage because he couldn't hit there. At any rate, the facts were connected, and he welcomed his release with the heartiness9 of the landlubber when, after his first voyage, he exchanges the narrow, malodorous, unsteady forecastle for solid, familiar earth.
Not so poor Patterson. He felt as a timid pupil would if snatched suddenly from a gentle tutor's care and thrust into a lively school, where independence must be fought for and honors won unaided. His courage failed him; he dreaded10 to go forth11 into public view and face the test, with eager batters12 trying for real base hits, and every error of judgment13 or delivery counting in the score. The cage was familiar ground to Patterson. Here he had acquired whatever skill he possessed14. With Owen behind the plate to explain just what to throw and how to throw it, with no one else at hand to molest15 or make afraid, he could handle the ball as well as another. His wrist had the master snap that yields sharp curves; his shoulder the sweeping16 swing that makes speed.[Pg 158] But outside—alas! outside was a strange land in which he feared to trust himself.
"Foolishness!" laughed Owen, when Patterson frankly17 confided18 to him these misgivings19. "You'll do better outside. There's all the inspiration of the game to spur you on, and the fun of working your man,—putting your wits against his, you know, and making him do things he doesn't want to do."
"But I don't feel as if I had any wits," said Patterson, "or shouldn't have any if I got into a close, hard game."
Owen stopped short in his walk and fixed20 his eyes disapprovingly21 on his companion's face. "Look here, Pat," he said sternly, "you've got to cut that kind of talk and that kind of thinking too. We're going out to play ball, not to help fight a battle or swim for our lives or anything like that, but just play ball. There's absolutely nothing to worry about; we aren't the captain or the coach. We'll do as well as we can, and if our best is good enough, we'll make the nine. If we don't make it, it'll be because there are others better, and we shan't have any responsibility.[Pg 159] So there's nothing to worry about in either case. But if you're all the time scared that you'll do something wrong, you'll never do anything right. That's as sure as the multiplication22 table."
Patterson did not answer.
"Isn't that good sense?" demanded Owen.
Patterson drew a long breath. "It's good sense all right, but I don't know whether I can do it."
Owen snorted. "You can if you've a mind to. Just settle it that you'll do your best and be satisfied with whatever turns up. Why can't you let Poole and Lyford do the worrying?"
"I suppose I can," said Patterson, humbly23.
"I should hope you could! I tell you, man, you've got the goods! You have speed and good control and all the curves you need. If you give yourself half a chance they'll recognize it. If they don't, what do you care? There are other teams in the country, and this isn't the only year you're going to play. Just stop thinking, and play your game, and be satisfied if you make the second!"
"That's all I expect to do," answered Patterson,[Pg 160] nettled24. He felt for the moment angry with himself and vexed25 with Owen, but the talk did him good. He faced the first practice with an outward show of composure that did very good duty for confidence.
The coach made no significant comment on the batteries. He had kept in touch with the work of the winter through Poole's letters, and doubtless shared the captain's view that with Carle eliminated from the list, O'Connell must be the chief reliance of the season. At all events, on the first rally of forces in the open, he spent most of his time on Borland and his mate. O'Connell did better than usual, having got at least this measure of good from Borland's browbeating26, that he was more cautious in his delivery, and made better aim for the plate.
Owen exerted himself on the occasion to put his pitcher27 through his paces, and give the coach some inkling of what he fondly believed to be Patterson's great promise. But unfortunately, either from the novelty of the new conditions or from nervousness, the pitcher was slow in steadying down; and by the time he was delivering the[Pg 161] balls as the catcher expected, Poole called Owen away to join the outfielders, who were catching28 flies, and put Foxcroft in his place. And Foxcroft blighted29 the pitcher's inspiration as a hoar-frost blights30 a hothouse plant.
"How did it go?" asked Owen, coming in some time later for a brief batting practice before the net.
Patterson gave a doleful shake of the head. "To pieces," he answered laconically31. "I never could pitch to that fellow!"
"What did Lyford say?"
"Nothing. He didn't need to say anything."
"Owen!" called Poole, and Rob, picking up his bat, took the place before the net which Peacock had just vacated. He felt disappointed and irritated; disappointed because, having made Patterson's cause his own, he was himself hurt by the failure; irritated because he was sure that if Poole had only left him alone another ten minutes he could have pulled his friend safely through. He stood at the plate with his jaw32 set, and his eyes shining bright, ready to hit and hit hard. O'Connell was pitching for the batsmen, and O'Connell[Pg 162] asked nothing better than the privilege of striking out this arrogant33 freshie, who had presumed to offer instruction to him in the cage, and had dropped him so contemptuously for not receiving it. So he tried a deceiver in the shape of a hot outcurve—O'Connell's strongest card—which starts wide and swings over the plate. Owen felt savage34, but not savage enough to lose his wits. He had learned long since from McLennan that the great batsmen study the pitcher's motive35 and try to guess in advance the ball that he will pitch. Knowing O'Connell's strong and weak points, he had no difficulty in recognizing the ball that came spinning threateningly toward him. So he waited unmoved, and swung at it as it broke over the plate as if the ball itself were the animate36 cause of his disappointment.
Bat and ball met squarely with a crash; the ball sped away, not in a high parabola that gives the lazy outfielder an easy put out, nor in the regular sharp bounds which a clever baseman may handle, but well above the reach of any infielder, and striking the ground too soon and with too hot a pace to be held by the outfield. A hard[Pg 163] hit like this, if it passes between the outfielders on a deep, smooth field, rolls forever.
"A bully37 hit!" exclaimed Durand, as Owen, his frown transformed into a smirk38 of satisfaction, took his place with the rest. "That's good for three bases sure."
"I don't know about that," Owen replied modestly, mentally resolving, however, that if he ever made such a hit in a real game he wouldn't stop to look round till he had passed third.
"Too hard," was the comment of the coach to Poole, "but good form."
"I'm hoping to get a good hitting outfielder out of him," replied Poole. "Carle told me Owen's batting average was always high. I suppose Borland will do all our catching."
Patterson came up for his trial. O'Connell, angry with himself for having let Owen get a long drive out of him, set himself to fool the pitcher at least.
"Don't try for big hits!" warned the coach. "Just watch the ball and make sure you hit it. Wait for the good ones!"
And Patterson watched the ball and waited,[Pg 164] letting the good ones go by and striking at the poor ones. He finally succeeded in poking39 a feeble bounder over to the pitcher's position, and thus obtained the privilege of retiring. Altogether Patterson's first day out gave little promise that his ambitions would ever be realized.
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1
rumors
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| n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷 | |
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2
surmises
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| v.臆测，推断( surmise的第三人称单数 )；揣测；猜想 | |
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3
chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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4
poker
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| n.扑克；vt.烙制 | |
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5
limbo
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| n.地狱的边缘；监狱 | |
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6
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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7
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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8
sham
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| n./adj.假冒(的)，虚伪(的) | |
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9
heartiness
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| 诚实，热心 | |
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10
dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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11
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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12
batters
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| n.面糊（煎料）( batter的名词复数 )；面糊（用于做糕饼）；（ 棒球） 正在击球的球员；击球员v.连续猛击( batter的第三人称单数 ) | |
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13
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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14
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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15
molest
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| vt.骚扰，干扰，调戏 | |
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16
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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17
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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18
confided
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| v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的过去式和过去分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
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19
misgivings
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
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20
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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21
disapprovingly
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| adv.不以为然地，不赞成地，非难地 | |
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22
multiplication
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| n.增加，增多，倍增；增殖，繁殖；乘法 | |
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23
humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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24
nettled
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| v.拿荨麻打，拿荨麻刺（nettle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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25
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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26
browbeating
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| v.（以言辞或表情）威逼，恫吓( browbeat的现在分词 ) | |
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27
pitcher
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| n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手 | |
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28
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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29
blighted
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| adj.枯萎的，摧毁的 | |
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30
blights
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| 使凋萎( blight的第三人称单数 )； 使颓丧； 损害； 妨害 | |
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31
laconically
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| adv.简短地，简洁地 | |
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32
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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33
arrogant
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| adj.傲慢的，自大的 | |
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34
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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35
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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36
animate
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| v.赋于生命，鼓励；adj.有生命的，有生气的 | |
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37
bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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38
smirk
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| n.得意地笑；v.傻笑；假笑着说 | |
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39
poking
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| n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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