They fought gamely to the very last, as all sturdy players of the
National game should, hoping for a turn in the tide; but in the
end found themselves snowed under by a score of eleven to two.
Those runs were actually gifts, for in the end Tyree slowed up,
and almost "lobbed" a few over the plate, as though wishing to take
a little of the sting of defeat away; though that is never a safe
practice for any pitcher to do. Still, eleven to nothing would
have been rubbing it into the Belleville fellows pretty roughly.

On the following Saturday Allandale had a last whirl at Belleville.
This time the boys of the third town took a brace, and for a time
put up quite a creditable game. Big Patterson, however, was too
much for them, and after the seventh inning they lost all hope of
winning. But the score was six to four, which might be considered
a little hopeful.

So Belleville, having lost all the games thus far played in which
she took part, was consequently eliminated as a contending factor
in the race for the pennant of the Three Town High School League.

This left it between Scranton and Allandale. The latter team had
a big advantage to start with, since they were already one game to
the good. But Scranton still had faith in Tyree, and if things
broke half-way decently in the next game they fully expected to
make their adversaries "take their dust," as Thad expressed it.

During this time, of course, the wonderful happenings at the Hosmer
cottage had become town talk. Everybody was greedily drinking in
such details of the story as they could manage to gather up.