CHAPTER XXVII

A GLEAM OF LIGHT

There was no trouble at all in finding out the reason why Rockledge was the tail-ender. The batting and fielding of the team was all that could be asked for. Both in offense and defense they had the edge on their rivals. The weakness lay in the pitcher's box.

It was not that Hicksley did not work hard. He had a double reason now for pitching at the top of his speed, for he not only wanted to win the glory to himself, but he wanted to show that the absence of Bobby did not weaken the team.

But the trouble with him was that, as a rule, he could not last for the full nine innings. He would go along like a house afire for the first half of the game. Then about the fifth or sixth inning, he would begin to falter, and in some one of the remaining innings would "go up with a bang."

At such times there was no one to come to the rescue, as in the first game that Bobby had pulled out of the fire. Spentz, the right fielder, who knew a little about twirling, had replaced him once but had not been able to undo the damage. In the game with Ridgefield, Hicksley had managed to last long enough to win by one run, and in the second game with Somerset had pitched fairly well, though he lost. But Ridgefield had come back with an easy victory, and Belden had fairly smothered him under a shower of hits to every part of the field. So that the outlook was very blue for Rockledge, and the boys fairly squirmed under the crowing of the Belden fellows whenever they met them on the trolley or in the town.

"If we only had Bobby in the box, we'd be going along at the head of the procession," groaned Fred.

"That yellow streak of Hicksley's comes out in almost every game," growled Sparrow.

"He can't stand the gaff when it comes to a pinch," assented Skeets gloomily.

"A fellow who would lie as he did about Bobby doesn't deserve to have any luck," grunted Pee Wee.

"He's a hoodoo," agreed Shiner. "But what are we going to do?" he asked despairingly. "We haven't anybody else to take his place, now that Bobby is out of it."

Things were at this stage, when Bobby and Fred, who had been on a trip to town, were caught on their return in a terrific thunder storm. They were lucky enough to find refuge in a culvert under the railroad, and there they waited till the storm had spent its fury.

It was one of the worst storms they ever remembered, and peal after peal of thunder shook the earth, while streaks of jagged lightning shot across the sky.

"Scubbity-_yow_!" exclaimed Fred, after one particularly violent clap of thunder, followed by a blinding flash. "I'll bet that hit around here somewhere."

"I wouldn't like to be near anything it hit," replied Bobby.

The rain came down in torrents for some time longer, but at last the storm abated, rifts of blue sky appeared in the clouds, and the boys started off toward the school.

They were taking a short cut through the woods, when they were startled at seeing a great tree, that had been split from top to base, lying across the path.

"Jiminy Christmas!" exclaimed Bobby. "This is what the lightning hit that time."

"It made a clean job of it," cried Fred. "But listen," he added, as muffled sounds came from the great tangle of branches. "What's making that noise?"

"It's somebody in there!" ejaculated Bobby, as he peered through the green welter of boughs and branches. "Quick, Fred, let's get in there."

With much difficulty, they forced their way through the tangle of foliage, until they were able to see two dim figures crouching in the center of the mass. Their surprise was great and became still greater, when they recognized them as two of the smaller of the Rockledge boys, Charlie White and Jimmy Thacker.

They were confused by their fright, and were whimpering. They gave only broken and stammering replies to the questions of their rescuers, who had a good deal of work in getting them out from the boughs that held them down.

They were finally pulled out to the open air. They were more frightened than hurt, although they had a number of scratches and bruises where the branches had swept against them in their fall.

"How did you boys manage to be caught in there?" queried Bobby and Fred in one breath.

"We were standing under a tree while it was raining," answered Charlie, who was not quite as upset as his companion, "when this other tree was hit and fell over. We tried to run, but the branches caught us before we could get away."

"I thought sure we were going to get killed!" whimpered Jimmy.

"Don't you fellows know that you ought never to stand under a tree in a thunderstorm?" demanded Fred.

"We know it now," returned Charlie; "and you can be sure we'll never do it again."

"Are you much hurt?" asked Bobby anxiously.

"I guess not," answered Charlie, "but we've got lots of scratches."

"Let's see if you can walk all right," ordered Bobby.

They made the attempt, and although they were wobbly and uncertain on their legs, all were relieved to find that no bones had been broken.

"You'll be all right as soon as you get over your scare," pronounced Fred.

"It was mighty lucky for us that you two boys came along," said Jimmy gratefully.

"Yes," added Charlie. "We were held down by those heavy branches, and I don't see how we would have got out by ourselves."

"After this, Charlie," said Jimmy, looking at his companion, "we ought to tell Bobby all we know about the fellow who threw that egg into the electric fan."

Their hearers started as though they had been shot.

"Who was it?" cried Fred excitedly.

"Out with it!" commanded Bobby.