JL Gets Slugged!

From five throats and more there rose a lusty yell;

It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It pounded on the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Fluffy, mighty Fluffy, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Fluffy's manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Fluffy's bearing and a smile lit Fluffy's face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Fluffy at the bat.

Ten sets of eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt.
Five more tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance flashed in Fluffy's eye, a sneer curled Fluffy's lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Fluffy stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped —
"That ain't my style," said Fluffy. "Strike!" the umpire said.

From the benches, filled with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore;
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted Sir Aries on the stand;
And it's likely he'd have killed him had not Fluffy raised his hand.

"Fraud!" cried the maddened half-dozen, and echo answered "Fraud!"

But one scornful look from Fluffy and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Fluffy wouldn't let that ball go by again.

The sneer had fled from Fluffy's lip, the teeth were clenched in hate;
He pounded with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
The pitcher held the yellow ball, and then he let it go,
And then the air was shattered by the force of Fluffy's blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and little children shout;

But there is no joy in Sluggerville — mighty Fluffy had struck out.

Sluggers Win Two!