IN THE SHADOW
unavailing; she soon became more anxious for the Gentlemen to win for the sake of these people who so believed in them than for any personal interest of her own.
"Will they never get them out?" she asked, despairingly, of the man beside her.
"They've got one more—" he began, and then something happened. A ball flew from the batter and Virginia, watching it apathetically as it soared far out to the deep field, saw all at once ahead of it a great black figure which spanned the sward in long catlike bounds, and as the ball seemed hanging high above its head, it leaped, leaped like a great black panther with a circular sweep of the big, loose-knit body. A black arm swept upward, a huge hand met the heavy impact of the ball, the flight of which was ended. The visitors were out.
For a moment the spectators were too astonished to cheer; the feat seemed incredible, almost diabolic. The ball had looked twice the height of the man's head, and might have been, but they had no conception of the spring in the bowed legs and the abnormal length of the African arm.
The Gentlemen went to the bat and Virginia watched with bated breath, but it soon became evident to her, inexperienced as she was, that they were making but a poor showing. She turned to Sir Henry.
"Why doesn't Giles bat?" she demanded impatiently. "They say that he is so clever at it."
"There he goes now," replied Sir Henry, without taking his eyes from the field. Virginia turned in time to see Giles swing manfully at a swift ball, but the next moment to her amazement he turned and walked de-
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