"Go on now! Take another! You can get home!"

"Wow! That wins the game! Hurrah for Ned Wilding!"

Those were some of the shouts, amid a multitude of others, that came from
scores of boyish throats as they watched the baseball game between the
Darewell High School and the Lakeville Preparatory Academy. The occasion
was the annual championship struggle, and the cries resulted from Ned's
successful batting of the ball far over the center fielder's head.

It was a critical moment for the score was tie, it was the ending of the
ninth inning, and there were two men of the High School nine out. It all
depended on Ned.

But Ned was equal to the occasion. He had placed the ball well, and as
soon as he heard the crack, when his bat struck it, he had darted for
first. Then, running as he never had run before, he kept on to second.
The encouraging shouts of his friends induced him to advance toward
third, though by this time the center fielder had the ball and was
throwing it to the baseman.

"Come on, Ned! Come on! Take a chance!" yelled Bart Keene, captain of the
High School team.

Then Ned, from a baseball standpoint of safety, did what might be termed
a foolish thing. He reached third base just an instant before the ball
did. He heard it strike the baseman's glove with a loud "plunk!"

A second later, stooping to avoid being touched, Ned sprang up and ran