irst.

Diamond tried hard for a hit, with Frank leading off second ready to do
his best to score.

Jack finally drove a grounder into the hands of McCann, who whistled it
over for a put-out.

"Two gone!" shouted the captain of the Rovers. "Only one more to git,
Bender, me boy!"

A few of the disappointed spectators began to leave the field.

The first two balls pitched by Bender were strikes, Browning touching
neither of them. Then the pitcher tried some wide ones on the big first
baseman of the Merries. Bruce had a good eye, and he let the wide ones
pass.

Two balls were called. Bender attempted to curve one over, but missed
the plate by fully six inches.

"Three balls!" came from Carker.

"Smash it if he puts one over!" called Frank.

Browning gripped his bat and stood ready.

The crowd was silent and breathless.

Bender tried to put a speedy ball across Bruce's shoulders, but it was
far too high.

"Four balls--take your base!" cried Carker.

"The best thing you could have done, Mitt," laughed McCann. "Here comes
the tall jay, and he never made a hit in his life."

Ephraim Gallup's hands were trembling as he picked up a bat and walked
out. His legs were weak, and there was a mist before his eyes.

"I'll never touch it!" he whispered to himself. "There's too much
depending on it; I can't do it!"

As if from a great distance he seemed to hear Frank Merriwell crying:

"Just a little single, Ephraim! You never failed in a pinch in all your
life! You can't fail now!"

Those words seemed to brush the mist from Gallup's eyes, and something
like confidence crept back into his heavy heart.

Nevertheless he merely fouled Bender's first shoot.

"One strike!"

The next ball was far too high, but Gallup swung at it and missed.

"Two strikes!"

"All over! all over!" whooped McCann.

The spectators in the stand and on the bleachers were standing.

"I knowed I couldn't do it!" thought Gallup.

Once more he heard Frank calling to him.

"For Teresa and the baby!" cried Merriwell. "Lace it out, Gallup! Get
against it!"

For Teresa and the baby! Those words rang through Ephraim's brain. Was
it possible he was going to prove himself a miserable failure under such
circumstances? With only himself to consider he might fail, but he had
believed himself capable of great things for the sake of Teresa and the
baby. He was capable of great things! He knew it now, and suddenly his
hands were steady as iron. T