on him, and then knocked a low one toward centerfield. At
once he started for first, while the fellow on third dashed forward for
the home plate. The ball was gathered in as quickly as possible, and the
runner from first to second was put out. But the runner from third had
come in just before.

"Hurrah! That's one run, anyhow!" shouted the Longley supporters.

"I told you we could do it," said Tommy Flanders. He was glad of the
run, yet tremendously chagrined to think that he had not been permitted
to score.

"Now we've got to tie that score or better," said Gif, when the Colby
Hall boys came to the bat.

All of those who came up, including Fred and Jack, did their best, but
were unable to get further than first or second.

"Hurrah! That's the stuff!" cried Pete Stevens. "Let us hold 'em down to
a whitewash!"

"Sure I'll hold 'em down!" boasted Tommy Flanders. "Not a one of 'em are
going to see the home plate off of me to-day."

"He'll certainly win the game if conceit can do it," murmured Ned Lowe
in disgust.

It must be admitted that so far Tommy Flanders had done wonderfully
well. But there were signs that he was overdoing it by pitching too
hard.

"I think he'll break before the game is over," said Dan.

"Just my opinion," returned Walt Baxter. "No young pitcher can stand up
under such a strain as that."

The break they had looked for came in the eighth inning. By a supreme
effort Longley managed, on a fumble by one of the new players for Colby
Hall, to bring in another run, at which the cheering on their side was
tremendous.

"That's the stuff! Two to nothing! Wallop 'em good and plenty, Longley!"

"We'll wallop 'em all right enough," exulted Tommy Flanders. "They are
going to get the worst whitewashing they ever had--you mark my words."

Alas for the conceited young pitcher! His overconfidence made him a
trifle wild, and almost before he realized it the first Colby Hall
batter had got a safe hit to first and the second man up went to first
on balls, advancing the other to second.

"Tighten up there, Tommy! Tighten up!" called out one of the Longley
sympathizers.

"I'll tighten up, all right enough," answered Flanders, with a scowl.

The next player up got another single, the ball being fumbled by the
fielder, and as a consequence the bases were filled.

"Be careful, Tommy!" cautioned the Longley captain, as he came up to the
pitcher. "Be careful! We don't want to spoil the score."

"They w