hed third a few seconds
later. Then, as he saw the ball was still down in right field with the
fielder chasing madly after it, he came in to the home plate. Randy had
meanwhile reached first and was halfway to second, which he reached
safely by sliding.

"Hurrah! One run for Colby Hall!"

"And Randy Rover made it a two-bagger!"

"Some playing, I'll say!"

The excitement was now intense as Colby Hall saw a chance to win. But
this chance went glimmering a few seconds later when a pop-fly was
gathered in with ease by the Hixley pitcher.

"Never mind, we've tied the score, and that's something," said Gif. "Now
all we need do is to hold them down and make one more run."

In the ninth inning Hixley High fought desperately to score, and Colby
Hall did the same. But neither side got further than first.

"A tie game! A tie game!" was the cry.

"Now, then, it takes only one run to win!"

The excitement was now at a fever heat, and this continued through the
tenth and eleventh innings. By this time it was growing dark, so that
the fielders had difficulty in seeing the ball.

"I think we had better call it a tie and let it go at that," said the
Hixley captain to Gif. "What do you think about it?"

There was a brief consultation, and several of the regular school
coaches were called in. In the meanwhile it grew darker rapidly, and
presently the contest was called off.

"It's too bad we couldn't finish it," remarked Jack, as he shook hands
with Dink Wilsey.

"We'll have to finish it next year," said the rival pitcher, with a
grin.

There was a good deal of talk about the contest, but gradually the crowd
dispersed, and many of the Colby boys started for the Hall. The Rovers
and some of their chums rejoined the girls, and walked with them to the
automobiles which were to take Martha and Mary and the others back to
Clearwater Hall.

"I'm so sorry you fellows didn't win that game," pouted May Powell, on
the way.

"Well, we did our best," answered Fred. "And believe me, it's something
to hold down a school like Hixley with such a pitcher as Dink Wilsey."

"You don't mean to say he can pitch any better than Jack!" put in Ruth
quickly.

"Oh, I'm not saying anything against Jack," answered Fred. "Just the
same, Dink's a great pitcher, and Jack will say so himself."

"He certainly is," was the reply from the oldest Rover boy. "He'll be on
one of the professional teams one of these days. If Longley Academy has
any suc