Long Stretch At First Base Read Online Free PDF

himself. Without that web on his mitt, Tony would not have a chance against Kirby.
    Kirby was hitting better. That was definite. He did not hit the ball very far, but he was getting on base more often than
     he used to. Choking up on the bat had helped him a lot. Thanks to Ann.
    But Kirby was a whiz on first. Everybody could see that. He was getting men out in very close plays, plays which otherwise
     might have meant runs for the opposing teams. Every time Kirby made along stretch to catch a wild peg, the people cheered and applauded. They wouldn’t do that if he wasn’t good, would they?
    On Friday afternoon, a hot and sticky day, Bobby, Kirby, and Ann put on their bathing suits and went swimming down by the
     bridge. They passed Tony’s house. A blue car trimmed with shining chrome stood in the driveway. It was Mr. Mandos’s car.
    “Let’s see if Tony wants to come with us,” suggested Kirby.
    He went to the house while Ann and Bobby waited.
    Soon he came back out. “Tony’s already at the pond,” he said.
    There were a lot of other kids swimming in the pond, too. Tony saw them and swam over. “Hi!” he said. “I wondered ifyou were coming! The water’s great!”
    Bobby didn’t swim around with Tony. He didn’t want to get too friendly with him. Tony was on their baseball team; that was
     friendship enough.
    Bobby climbed up the bank, walked along the edge of the bridge, and dived into the water. He got more fun out of diving than
     swimming. He wished that the bridge was higher. Boy! Would that be fun, then!
    After a while the kids began to leave. Tony left, too. At last Bobby, Kirby, and Ann left. Just as they reached their house
     a blue car zipped past. It was the Mandoses’.
    Bobby stared after it a minute. “Was Tony in it?” he asked.
    “I think so,” said Kirby. “But I’m not sure. Why?”
    Bobby shrugged. “Oh — nothing.”
    They went into the house and dressed. Then Bobby told his mother he was going bike riding for a while.
    He rode slowly down the road. He didn’t want to pump fast. Somebody watching might get curious. Terry followed him, yipping
     at the rear wheel.
    At last Bobby reached Tony Mandos’s house. He parked the bike in the driveway. He walked around the house quietly. Terry trailed
     after him, his nose close to the grass. He sniffed as if he were on the track of something.
    Since Tony wasn’t home, Bobby had a chance to look for Tony’s first-base mitt. Bobby didn’t know what he would do with it
     if he found it. But he would do
something.
    He looked hard around the yard. Finallyhe saw it on the front porch. His heart pounded. It was the mitt all right — the mitt with the big web. The mitt which Tony
     used to make those great catches.
    Bobby went on the porch, picked up the mitt.
    Just then Tony Mandos came out of the door.
    “Hello, Bobby. What are you doing here?” he asked.

7
    B OBBY stared. His face grew hot. He could hardly answer Tony. He had been sure that Tony was in his father’s car.
    “Hi — hi, Tony,” he managed to say finally. “I just rode down to see if you were here.”
    Tony smiled. His crow-black hair was combed neatly back. He was wearing blue jeans and a blue and white striped T-shirt. He
     came off the porch and looked at the mitt in Bobby’s hand.
    “How do you like that mitt?” he asked proudly.
    Bobby swallowed. He forced a grin tohis lips. “It’s a beauty. I don’t think anybody’s could beat it.”
    “I don’t, either,” said Tony. “Except your brother Kirby’s.”
    Bobby frowned. “Kirby’s? This is better than Kirby’s. Don’t you think so?”
    Tony shrugged. He took the mitt from Bobby and slipped his left hand into it. He tugged at the leather-laced web.
    “Kirby’s doesn’t have a web like mine,” he said. “With a web like this almost anybody could catch a ball.”
    “What’s wrong with that? It’s legal, isn’t it?” All of a sudden Bobby didn’t know what to think of Tony. Before this he