Casey at the Bat Fill in the Blanks

The Outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day :
The score stood four to two , with but one inning more to play .
____________________ ____________________ when Cooney died at first , and Barrows did the same ,
A ____________________ ____________________ fell upon the ____________________ of the game .
A straggling few got up to go in deep despair . The rest
Clung to that hope which ____________________ ____________________ in the human ____________________ ;
They thought , if only Casey could get but a whack at that -
We'd put up even money , now , with Casey at the bat .

But Flynn preceded Casey , as did also Jimmy Blake ,
And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake ;
____________________ ____________________ that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat ,
____________________ ____________________ seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat .

But Flynn let drive a single , ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ of all ,
And Blake , the much despis - ed , ____________________ the ____________________ ____________________ the ____________________ ;
____________________ ____________________ the dust had lifted , and the men saw what had occurred ,
There was Johnnie safe at second and Flynn a - hugging third .

Then from 5 , 000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell ;
It ____________________ through the ____________________ , it ____________________ in the ____________________ ;
It ____________________ upon the ____________________ and ____________________ upon the ____________________ ,
For Casey , mighty Casey , was advancing to the bat .

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

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt ;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt .
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip ,
____________________ ____________________ in Casey's eye , a sneer curled Casey's lip .

And now the ____________________ - ____________________ sphere came ____________________ through the air ,
And Casey stood a - watching it in ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ .
____________________ ____________________ the sturdy batsman the ball ____________________ ____________________ -
" That ain't my style , " said Casey . " Strike one , " the umpire said .

____________________ ____________________ benches , black with people , there went up a muffled roar ,
____________________ ____________________ beating of the storm - waves on a stern and distant shore .
" Kill him ! Kill the umpire ! " shouted someone on the stand ;
And its likely they'd a - killed him had not Casey raised his hand .

____________________ a smile of Christian ____________________ great Casey's ____________________ ____________________ ;
____________________ ____________________ the rising ____________________ ; he ____________________ the game go on ;
He signaled to the pitcher , and once more the ____________________ flew ;
But Casey still ignored it , and the umpire said , " Strike two . "

" Fraud ! " cried the maddened thousands , and echo answered fraud ;
But one ____________________ look from Casey and the audience was awed .
They saw his face grow stern and cold , they saw his muscles strain ,
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again .

The sneer is gone from Casey's ____________________ , his teeth are ____________________ in hate ;
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate .
And now the pitcher holds the ball , and now he lets it go ,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey'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 somewhere children shout ;
But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out .