s the magistrate! Then
he must know everytheeng about the game. He must know more than every
one else. Eet ees splendeed! I am so proud of Senyor Carkaire!"

Suddenly Winnie Badger clapped her hands, uttered a cry of delight, and
started up.

Buck had hit the ball.

A moment later Winnie's joy turned to dismay, for, with a leap, O'Day
thrust out his gloved left hand and caught Badger's liner. It was the
third put-out, and Merry was left on second.

"That's playing ball!" roared the man with the broken nose. "Now get
after Frank Merriwell, and send him to the stable! Put the blanket on
him! 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 and
black 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 what
Merriwell 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 can
roll up a few tallies, it ought to discourage the youngsters. It's not
easy to bluff them, but we may be able to get their tails down, and an
uphill 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 to
him, although it was fully six inches higher than his shoulders. The hit
was a sharp drive into the field, and Carson took it on the first bound
and 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 toward
second.

Merry fancied he saw a signal exchanged between the batter and the base
runner. Something told him McCann would try to steal.

Nevertheless, Frank appeared careless in permitting the captain of the
Rovers to get a lead off first. When he pitched, however, Merry whistled
the ball over high and wide so that it came into Bart's hands in such a
manner 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 tag