CHAPTER XL.
A DETERMINED FRONT.
Frank drove the ball out on a line and reached second base by sharprunning.
"Vale! vale! vale!" spluttered Dunnerwurst, as he danced round like ahuge fat toad. "Dot peen too pad! It vos an awful surprise dot der balldit not make a home run vor him!"
"Naow we're started, gol ding it!" shouted Gallup excitedly, as hepranced out to coach. "Let's keep her a-goin', fellers!"
Ephraim was in a wildly excited condition. He felt himself tingling andshaking all over. At one moment he was hot and burning, and the nextmoment he was cold and shivering.
Buck Badger looked dangerous to Bender. The solid, stocky,square-shouldered Westerner seemed like a man who would hit the ball aterrible crack if he hit it at all.
In the stand, sitting amid the ladies of Merriwell's house party, wasWinnie Badger, whose eyes gleamed with pride as she watched her husband.
"I hope Buck will get a hit," she murmured. "He used to hit well."
"Oo, eet ees the strange game!" exclaimed Teresa Gallup. "What ees eetEphraim ees doing now? Does he have to hollaire so loud?"
"He's a coach," explained Elsie.
"A coach?" questioned Teresa. "Why, the coach ees sometheeng for a horseto pull. Ees Ephraim sometheeng for a horse to pull?"
"He isn't just that sort of a coach," laughed Inza. "He's out there togive Frank instructions about running bases."
"Oo!" murmured Teresa. "Does he know more about the way bases to runthan Frank knows?"
"Perhaps not," smiled Inza. "But you see the runner can't keep watch ofthe ball and the players while he's running. He can't tell just whatevery one is doing if he has to pay attention to himself. A coach cantell him what to do."
Juanita Garcia had not spoken since the beginning of the game, but nowshe ventured to ask:
"What ees eet Senyor Carkaire he play? He keep saying: 'One ball! Onestrike! Two ball! Two strike!' but he do nothing else."
"He's the umpire. He is the judge who gives the decisions."
"Oo!" breathed Juanita. "He ees the judge! He ees the magistrate! Thenhe must know everytheeng about the game. He must know more than everyone else. Eet ees splendeed! I am so proud of Senyor Carkaire!"
Suddenly Winnie Badger clapped her hands, uttered a cry of delight, andstarted up.
Buck had hit the ball.
A moment later Winnie's joy turned to dismay, for, with a leap, O'Daythrust out his gloved left hand and caught Badger's liner. It was thethird put-out, and Merry was left on second.
"That's playing ball!" roared the man with the broken nose. "Now getafter Frank Merriwell, and send him to the stable! Put the blanket onhim! Polish him off!"
The Rovers trotted in, while the home team took the field.
Casper Silence lighted a fresh cigarette as the players in yellow andblack settled down on the bench.
"Beyond question you faced the four leading batters of that team,Bender," said the proprietor of the visitors. "You know now whatMerriwell and Badger can hit. If O'Day had not made a great catch,Merriwell would have scored."
"Oh, I'll get onto their style of hitting, all right," nodded Bender."Neither of those chaps will touch me next time."
Bearover was speaking to McCann.
"We want to make some runs in this inning, Mike," he said. "If we canroll up a few tallies, it ought to discourage the youngsters. It's noteasy to bluff them, but we may be able to get their tails down, and anuphill game is a hard game for any team to play. Start us off, McCann."
The captain of the visitors walked out and hit the first ball pitched tohim, although it was fully six inches higher than his shoulders. The hitwas a sharp drive into the field, and Carson took it on the first boundand promptly sent it to Badger, which held McCann at first.
Frank believed Mertez would try to bunt, and he kept the ball high.Mertez fouled the first one, and a strike was called.
McCann was forced to return to first after getting a big start towardsecond.
Merry fancied he saw a signal exchanged between the batter and the baserunner. Something told him McCann would try to steal.
Nevertheless, Frank appeared careless in permitting the captain of theRovers to get a lead off first. When he pitched, however, Merry whistledthe ball over high and wide so that it came into Bart's hands in such amanner that Hodge was in perfect position to throw to second.
McCann was scooting down the line.
Bart threw to second.
Badger covered the sack, took the ball and tagged McCann as the runnerwas sliding.
It was a close play, but Buck caught McCann as the latter's hand wasfully six inches from the bag.
"Out at second!" declared Carker.
There was a hush as the runner scrambled to his feet.
"What?" roared McCann, rushing at Carker and seizing him in a fury. "Didyou call me out, you chump? What do you mean?"
He swung Greg round roughly.
Frank promptly reached for the back of McCann's neck. His fingers closedthere, and he sent the fellow reeling to one side.
"Hold on, Carker," he said, as Greg started to speak. He realized it wasthe umpire's intention to put McCann out of the game.
There were indications that the crowd of toughs contemplated rushingonto the field.
Bill Hunker sprang in front of those men and roared:
"I'll put the irons on the first son of a gun who ducks under thatrope!"
That stopped them.
McCann was livid with fury. It seemed that he meant to spring atMerriwell, who stood calmly facing him.
"Hold on, you!" said Frank, shaking a finger at the captain of theRovers. "I want to say just one word, and then you may come at me if youfeel like it. I kept the umpire from putting you out of the game. Youwere out at second, and you know it. If you lift your hand againstCarker during the remainder of this game or make any insulting talk tohim, I'll back him up if he orders you off the field. Perhaps your teamcan get along without you. Perhaps it will be better off without you.Take the matter into consideration."
On the temporary bleachers a crowd of Farnham Hall lads, led by DaleSparkfair, gave a cheer for Merry.
As this cheer died away Uncle Eb Small rose in the stand, waved hiscrooked cane, and shrilly cried:
"That's right, Frank--that's jest right! We're here to see a game ofbaseball and not a fight! All the same, if them fellers start a row,we'll back you up to the finish! We know you're a gentleman on thebaseball field and off it. You've gut the sympathy of every decent manhere."
"That's right! that's right!" came from all sides of the field.
Basil Bearover stepped out from the bench and called McCann's attention.
"Play ball, Mike," he said. "We can win, anyhow. Let the umpire alone."
Muttering to himself, the captain of the Rovers walked in from thefield.
Things simmered down at once. At last the visiting players and thesympathizing crowd of thugs realized that the sentiment of the crowdwould not tolerate such conduct as McCann's. The Merries were notfrightened by it, and Frank had prepared to quell any outbreak ofruffianism.
Toby Mertez tried hard for a hit, fouling the ball a number of times.Finally he put up a high foul, which Hodge gathered in.
Grifford was regarded as one of the heaviest and surest hitters amongthe visitors. Nevertheless, to his astonishment, he missed the first twoballs pitched by Frank, although both crossed the pan. Two wide onesfollowed, and then Hodge called for the double shoot.
Merry threw his great curve for the first time that day, and againGrifford missed.
"Three strikes--you're out!" rang forth Carker's decision.
The first inning was over.