“here’s the boy wonder!” announced squint fletcher. “soak him in the bean!”

as carson began to wind up, a voice pierced the roar of cheers that startled frank. it seemed like a voice that he knew well.

“fardale forever! hurrah for old fardale!”

merry could not tell whence that voice came, but he gripped his bat hard at the sound of it. carson unwound, and a white streak shot toward the plate.

whether he intended it or not, the ball came straight for frank, who was forced to step back. squint grinned.

“look out for your bean!”

again carson sent the ball whizzing down, but this time merry connected. there was a crack, and the sphere went sailing over second, and frank went to first.

“hold it!” cautioned clancy, as billy came up to the plate.

“here’s the champion human mistake, bully!” sang out squint.

carson gave billy a black look and whipped over the horsehide.

“ball—one!” announced the umpire. a storm of cheers floated across the field.

[103]

the next ball broke sharply. it struck billy on the arm, and the backstop at once flung away his bat and took first. he gave frank a grin as the latter advanced.

spaulding came up, and carson fanned him. the clippers were evidently waking up.

moore managed to pop up a weak fly, which ironton gathered in easily. henderson followed, and struck out, leaving billy on first and frank marooned on second. two innings were finished, and the clippers were one run to the good.

in the third, merry shut out the clippers, but, although mccarthy connected for a long drive, he was caught trying for third. in the fourth the heavy end of the clippers was up, but burkett, bangs, and ironton fanned in beautiful harmony. clancy was up for the clippings.

“lay out a soft one, clan,” said merry. “this has been an old-time slugging match so far. get to first, and work the hit-and-run.”

the red-haired chap nodded and stepped to the plate. carson sent over a wide one, and clancy swung viciously, drawing a chuckle from squint. again he swung at a poor one, then carson lashed a fast high one across.

to the surprise of the clippers, clancy choked his bat and laid a neat bunt down the third-base line. so astonished was bangs that clancy beat his throw easily, and frank came up to bat, smiling.

[104]

carson paused, scowling. he did not like merry’s smile, and knew that his speed had not fooled frank before. so he wound up as if delivering a fast one, and his famous slow fadeaway floated down toward the plate.

instantly clancy was sprinting for second. merry was not altogether fooled by that delivery, and he fell on the ball for a short, choppy stroke that sent the sphere zipping along the ground to carson.

the pitcher tried to stop it, but it went through him. murray was backing him up, but before the ball reached first, merry was standing on the bag, and clancy was safe. roar upon roar swelled out from the fans; but frank did not again hear the voice which had startled him.

billy mcquade strode out and pounded the plate with a determined air. carson fooled him twice with a slow fader, and, at the second strike, merry gave clancy the signal for a double steal, doubting whether billy could connect.

as carson unwound, the two sprinted for third and second. billy saw the movement, and stepped forward desperately. he managed to bunt, and, although he was nailed at first, clancy and frank were safe.

it seemed as though they would remain safe, however, for spaulding put up a foul tip that was easily smothered by squint fletcher. moore came[105] up, and as he was a notoriously weak batter, frank gave his chum the signal to steal.

clancy grinned, ready for anything. carson kept him close to third, but, as the big pitcher wound up again, clancy went toward home like a streak. instantly carson let the ball fly.

moore, however, knew his business. he was in his box, and, although squint yelled at him to get out of the way, he stepped forward and bunted the ball along the first-base line. clancy came sliding to the plate in a cloud of dust, and the umpire motioned him safe, moore, in the meantime, getting to first.

squint at once moved for a new trial, but the umpire denied the motion, and the clippings and their admirers sent up a shrill yell as they knew the score was tied. during the argument frank stole third, but an instant later moore was caught off first, and the inning was over, with the score tied.

the fifth, sixth, and seventh passed without another run. in the eighth, runge took third on a long fly, which henderson dropped, but he died there. henderson made good his error by a hit in the next half, and chub newton astonished every one by getting another, but the clippers woke up and effected a beautiful double play that retired the side.

the ninth opened with the heavy end of both sides at bat. the crowd was now silent and tense,[106] for the game was apt to jump either way without warning. merriwell seemed airtight, and carson had superb support behind him.

squint fletcher strode up to the plate, and came down on the first ball frank put over. the hit was a clean one, the sphere flying out between moore and nippen for a texas leaguer, but squint was not content with this. he tore around first and went on to second like a whirlwind.

moore sent the ball in to spaulding perfectly. the second baseman stood off the line, and, as he stooped for the catch, squint came slamming into him in a whirl of dust. the ball was seen to drop, and, when the dust cleared off, spaulding was fiercely addressing the grinning squint, whose spikes had gone into his leg.

“rotten! murder him!” went up the yell.

“dirty work! smash him, jim!” cried mccarthy.

spaulding was about to obey, when chip merriwell leaped on him and restored him to sanity. muttering, the angry spaulding wiped the blood from his leg and limped to his place. frank returned to his box, glad that trouble had been avoided.

burkett fanned, but bangs clipped a high one that moore misjudged. squint was halted at third, while bangs took second on a close decision, with one out. ironton came up and deliberately stepped into merry’s double shoot, but did it so[107] cleverly that the umpire was deceived into giving him a base. the sacks were filled.

the next man up was johnson. frank fooled him once, then snapped the ball to clancy in an endeavor to catch ironton. the effort failed, but squint fletcher took a chance on reaching home.

clancy sent in the ball far ahead of him, and squint turned to get back to third. as he did so, billy put the ball into mccarthy’s hand. squint gave a yell and flung himself at dan feet first, in an undoubted effort to spike.

a shout of anger burst from every man on the field. the lanky mccarthy was not so easily caught, however. as squint came at him, he writhed aside and drove down his fist with the ball into fletcher’s face.

squint was knocked a yard away, and rose with a yell of wrath, blood streaming from his nose. mccarthy was only too ready to pitch into him, but bully carson dragged his backstop away, and merry caught dan by the shoulder.

“you paid him out for spiking jim,” cried frank. “now simmer down, dan.”

squint was greeted with howls and catcalls as he came in. but, during the storm, bangs had stolen third, and ironton had taken second. frank gave johnson a fast high one, and johnson hammered it for two sacks.

murray fanned, but the evil was done. the[108] score stood three to one, and the clippings seemed lost when mccarthy came out to the plate and went out on a high fly. the crowd began to stream away from the field.

nippen lumbered up to the plate, and, with a grin, carson handed him an out. a shriek of astonishment went up as the huge fruit-picker connected. the ball went up and up, and the clipper outfield raced back. then they halted in dismay.

silence fell on the crowd—broken by a gasp. nippen passed second, rounded third, and held on home. the ball not only cleared the fence, but—dropped into the river! the huge outfielder had knocked a homer!

when the fans understood what had happened, they went wild. amid the confusion, clancy came to bat and rapped out a single. the field became a bedlam. shrieks and wild yells rose on every side, and the thump of feet rose into a dull thunder. when merry came out to bat, the entire crowd went crazy all over again.

as for the clippers, they were thunderstruck. carson tried to gain time, but the umpire commanded him to play ball, and he threw a vicious one straight at frank’s head. merry calmly stepped back and bunted it toward first.

carson leaped for it and fumbled. clancy sprinted down to second, and, before the big fellow could decide where the ball ought to go,[109] merry was safe on first and clancy was taking third.

“wake up, you bonehead!” growled squint, as he walked out and met his captain. “say, you’re the limit!”

“he’s l-l-limited, al-l-l right!” chirruped chub, from behind third. “the bal-l-loon’s gone up, fel-l-lows! tag al-l-long!”

carson scowled as billy mac faced him. frank seized his chance and went down to second. again the crowd lost its head with delight, yelling and stamping in a frenzied manner.

“finish it up, you bonehead,” grated squint. “fan this man and we have ’em.”

billy laughed. a moment later the ball came down, and he cracked it squarely. it shot back at carson like a bullet. the big fellow leaped aside amid a yell of derision, and, before murray had fielded it, clancy and merriwell had crossed the plate.

the clippings had clipped the clippers!

merry and billy reached the shelter of the dressing room first, but the rest of the team was caught by the frenzied crowd. as the two entered, they found the black-bearded stranger waiting for them. he held out a paper to billy.

“here,” he said, with a laugh, “is something for your mother, billy. i think you won it pretty fairly, old man!”

[110]

the stranger caught at his beard, and it came off in his hand. chip took one glance, then leaped for him with a yell.

“father!”

and frank merriwell, senior, smiled quietly as he took chip’s hand.