y disturbance
those fellows will make it."

The Rovers took the field for practice. They handled themselves like
professionals, and many of their clever catches or stops elicited
exclamations of wonderment and applause.

Casper Silence and Basil Bearover approached Frank.

"Where's your umpire, Merriwell?" demanded Bearover.

Merry looked round and motioned to Gregory Carker. Carker promptly
stepped forward.

"Here he is," said Frank.

Bearover placed himself in front of Carker, at whom he glowered.

"See here, young man," he said, "we want no monkey business to-day. If
you don't give us what's coming to us, you'll get into trouble in short
order. We know how to deal with crooked umpires."

"Evidently you do not know how to deal with gentlemen," said Greg.
"You'll get your due and not a whit more. Bullying and browbeating will
not give you an advantage."

"Oh, you're rather a stiff-necked young man, ain't ye?" growled the big
bear. "Let's understand the ground rules before we begin. How about a
wild throw into the crowd, Merriwell?"

"Perhaps we'd better make a rule that such a throw will give the base
runner the privilege of advancing one base and no more," suggested
Frank.

"That's satisfactory to us," nodded Bearover. "Do you think you can keep
the crowd off the outfields?"

"I have six officers here for the purpose of handling this crowd. Not
only will I see that the spectators do not intrude on the outfields, but
I'll guarantee that those officers will suppress any riot or
disturbance. They have full authority to arrest any one who attempts to
make trouble here to-day."

Casper Silence yawned and lighted a cigarette.

"There won't be any disturbance unless you chaps try to steal this
game," said Bearover.

"We don't have to steal games," returned Merry, quick as a flash. "We
can win them."

Silence smiled scornfully as he breathed forth a whiff of smoke.

"That may have been your experience in the past," he observed, "but
you're up against a different proposition to-day, young man."

"Will you give your batting order to our scorer?" asked Bearover.

"You'll find our scorer sitting yonder," said Merry. "He'll give you the
batting order."

"One more point," suggested Silence. "You seem determined to have things
pretty much your own way here. I know it's customary for the home team
to take its choice of innings. In this case it's possible you may be
able to concede a point and give us the ch