“Here’s the boy wonder!” announced Squint Fletcher. “Soak him in the
bean!”
As Carson began to wind up, a voice pierced the roar of cheers that
startled Frank. It seemed like a voice that he knew well.
“Fardale forever! Hurrah for old Fardale!”
Merry could not tell whence that voice came, but he gripped his bat
hard at the sound of it. Carson unwound, and a white streak shot toward
the plate.
Whether he intended it or not, the ball came straight for Frank, who
was forced to step back. Squint grinned.
“Look out for your bean!”
Again Carson sent the ball whizzing down, but this time Merry
connected. There was a crack, and the sphere went sailing over second,
and Frank went to first.
“Hold it!” cautioned Clancy, as Billy came up to the plate.
“Here’s the champion human mistake, Bully!” sang out Squint.
Carson gave Billy a black look and whipped over the horsehide.
“Ball--one!” announced the umpire. A storm of cheers floated across the
field.
The next ball broke sharply. It struck Billy on the arm, and the
backstop at once flung away his bat and took first. He gave Frank a
grin as the latter advanced.
Spaulding came up, and Carson fanned him. The Clippers were evidently
waking up.
Moore managed to pop up a weak fly, which Ironton gathered in easily.
Henderson followed, and struck out, leaving Billy on first and Frank
marooned on second. Two innings were finished, and the Clippers were
one run to the good.
In the third, Merry shut out the Clippers, but, although McCarthy
connected for a long drive, he was caught trying for third. In the
fourth the heavy end of the Clippers was up, but Burkett, Bangs, and
Ironton fanned in beautiful harmony. Clancy was up for the Clippings.
“Lay out a soft one, Clan,” said Merry. “This has been an old-time
slugging match so far. Get to first, and work the hit-and-run.”
The red-haired chap nodded and stepped to the plate. Carson sent over
a wide one, and Clancy swung viciously, drawing a chuckle from Squint.
Again he swung at a poor one, then Carson lashed a fast high one across.
To the surprise of the Clippers, Clancy choked his bat and laid a neat
bunt down the third-base line. So astonished was Bangs that Clancy beat
his throw easily, and Frank came up to bat, smiling.
Carson paused, scowling. He did not like Merry’s smile, and knew that
his speed had not fooled Frank before. So he wound up as if delivering
a fast one, and his famous slow fadeaway floated down toward the plate.
Instantly Clancy was sprinting for second. Merry was not altogether
fooled by that delivery, and he fell on the ball for a short, choppy
stroke that sent the sphere zipping along the ground to Carson.
The pitcher tried to stop it, but it went through him. Murray was
backing him up, but before the ball reached first, Merry was standing
on the bag, and Clancy was safe. Roar upon roar swelled out from the
fans; but Frank did not again hear the voice which had startled him.
Billy McQuade strode out and pounded the plate with a determined air.
Carson fooled him twice with a slow fader, and, at the second strike,
Merry gave Clancy the signal for a double steal, doubting whether Billy
could connect.
As Carson unwound, the two sprinted for third and second. Billy saw the
movement, and stepped forward desperately. He managed to bunt, and,
although he was nailed at first, Clancy and Frank were safe.
It seemed as though they would remain safe, however, for Spaulding put
up a foul tip that was easily smothered by Squint Fletcher. Moore came
up, and as he was a notoriously weak batter, Frank gave his chum the
signal to steal.
Clancy grinned, ready for anything. Carson kept him close to third,
but, as the big pitcher wound up again, Clancy went toward home like a
streak. Instantly Carson let the ball fly.
Moore, however, knew his business. He was in his box, and, although
Squint yelled at him to get out of the way, he stepped forward and
bunted the ball along the first-base line. Clancy came sliding to the
plate in a cloud of dust, and the umpire motioned him safe, Moore, in
the meantime, getting to first.
Squint at once moved for a new trial, but the umpire denied the motion,
and the Clippings and their admirers sent up a shrill yell as they
knew the score was tied. During the argument Frank stole third, but an
instant later Moore was caught off first, and the inning was over, with
the score tied.
The fifth, sixth, and seventh passed without another run. In the
eighth, Runge took third on a long fly, which Henderson dropped, but
he died there. Henderson made good his error by a hit in the next
half, and Chub Newton astonished every one by getting another, but the
Clippers woke up and effected a beautiful double play that retired the
side.
The ninth opened with the heavy end of both sides at bat. The crowd was
now silent and tense, for the game was apt to jump either way without
warning. Merriwell seemed airtight, and Carson had superb support
behind him.
Squint Fletcher strode up to the plate, and came down on the first ball
Frank put over. The hit was a clean one, the sphere flying out between
Moore and Nippen for a Texas leaguer, but Squint was not content with
this. He tore around first and went on to second like a whirlwind.
Moore sent the ball in to Spaulding perfectly. The second baseman stood
off the line, and, as he stooped for the catch, Squint came slamming
into him in a whirl of dust. The ball was seen to drop, and, when
the dust cleared off, Spaulding was fiercely addressing the grinning
Squint, whose spikes had gone into his leg.
“Rotten! Murder him!” went up the yell.
“Dirty work! Smash him, Jim!” cried McCarthy.
Spaulding was about to obey, when Chip Merriwell leaped on him and
restored him to sanity. Muttering, the angry Spaulding wiped the blood
from his leg and limped to his place. Frank returned to his box, glad
that trouble had been avoided.
Burkett fanned, but Bangs clipped a high one that Moore misjudged.
Squint was halted at third, while Bangs took second on a close
decision, with one out. Ironton came up and deliberately stepped into
Merry’s double shoot, but did it so cleverly that the umpire was
deceived into giving him a base. The sacks were filled.
The next man up was Johnson. Frank fooled him once, then snapped the
ball to Clancy in an endeavor to catch Ironton. The effort failed, but
Squint Fletcher took a chance on reaching home.
Clancy sent in the ball far ahead of him, and Squint turned to get back
to third. As he did so, Billy put the ball into McCarthy’s hand. Squint
gave a yell and flung himself at Dan feet first, in an undoubted effort
to spike.
A shout of anger burst from every man on the field. The lanky McCarthy
was not so easily caught, however. As Squint came at him, he writhed
aside and drove down his fist with the ball into Fletcher’s face.
Squint was knocked a yard away, and rose with a yell of wrath, blood
streaming from his nose. McCarthy was only too ready to pitch into him,
but Bully Carson dragged his backstop away, and Merry caught Dan by the
shoulder.
“You paid him out for spiking Jim,” cried Frank. “Now simmer down, Dan.”
Squint was greeted with howls and catcalls as he came in. But, during
the storm, Bangs had stolen third, and Ironton had taken second. Frank
gave Johnson a fast high one, and Johnson hammered it for two sacks.
Murray fanned, but the evil was done. The score stood three to one,
and the Clippings seemed lost when McCarthy came out to the plate and
went out on a high fly. The crowd began to stream away from the field.
Nippen lumbered up to the plate, and, with a grin, Carson handed him
an out. A shriek of astonishment went up as the huge fruit-picker
connected. The ball went up and up, and the Clipper outfield raced
back. Then they halted in dismay.
Silence fell on the crowd--broken by a gasp. Nippen passed second,
rounded third, and held on home. The ball not only cleared the fence,
but--dropped into the river! The huge outfielder had knocked a homer!
When the fans understood what had happened, they went wild. Amid the
confusion, Clancy came to bat and rapped out a single. The field became
a bedlam. Shrieks and wild yells rose on every side, and the thump of
feet rose into a dull thunder. When Merry came out to bat, the entire
crowd went crazy all over again.
As for the Clippers, they were thunderstruck. Carson tried to gain
time, but the umpire commanded him to play ball, and he threw a vicious
one straight at Frank’s head. Merry calmly stepped back and bunted it
toward first.
Carson leaped for it and fumbled. Clancy sprinted down to second, and,
before the big fellow could decide where the ball ought to go, Merry
was safe on first and Clancy was taking third.
“Wake up, you bonehead!” growled Squint, as he walked out and met his
captain. “Say, you’re the limit!”
“He’s l-l-limited, al-l-l right!” chirruped Chub, from behind third.
“The bal-l-loon’s gone up, fel-l-lows! Tag al-l-long!”
Carson scowled as Billy Mac faced him. Frank seized his chance and went
down to second. Again the crowd lost its head with delight, yelling and
stamping in a frenzied manner.
“Finish it up, you bonehead,” grated Squint. “Fan this man and we have
’em.”
Billy laughed. A moment later the ball came down, and he cracked it
squarely. It shot back at Carson like a bullet. The big fellow leaped
aside amid a yell of derision, and, before Murray had fielded it,
Clancy and Merriwell had crossed the plate.
The Clippings had clipped the Clippers!
Merry and Billy reached the shelter of the dressing room first, but the
rest of the team was caught by the frenzied crowd. As the two entered,
they found the black-bearded stranger waiting for them. He held out a
paper to Billy.
“Here,” he said, with a laugh, “is something for your mother, Billy. I
think you won it pretty fairly, old man!”
The stranger caught at his beard, and it came off in his hand. Chip
took one glance, then leaped for him with a yell.
“Father!”
And Frank Merriwell, senior, smiled quietly as he took Chip’s hand.