QUICK WORK.
A steady stream of men, women, boys and girls were pouring in at the
entrance of the Camden ball ground, which lay in a most picturesque
location directly at the foot of the mountains. It was plain that the
greatest crowd of the season had turned out to witness the struggle
which should place either Rockland or Camden at the head of the Knox
County League.
The grand stand filled rapidly. It was a hot afternoon, but there was a
draught through the grand stand, so that the upper seats were
comfortable. Beyond the dusty diamond the green woods looked cool and
inviting.
The ball ground was on an elevated spot, from which a view of the
village and bay could be obtained. Winding through the distant line of
woods the river might be seen. Away to the west loomed a range of purple
mountains.
Dressed in their scarlet uniforms, the Camdens were on the field
practicing. Although Bascomb was going to be on the bench that
afternoon, he was warming up as if he expected to go into the box. He
had cast aside cap and sweater, and was pitching all kinds of shoots to
a young chap he had found willing to catch him. Woods was batting to the
infield, but somebody was needed to give the outfield some work.
Merriwell was called for by McDornick.
Frank was leaning on the rail down near the peanut stand, Diamond,
Hodge, Browning and Dunnerwust being with him. The entire party had left
the yacht to witness the game of ball, but the _White Wings_ was being
watched by a young man on another yacht that lay near her.
"Where's Frank Merriwell?" cried McDornick from the field. "Let him
knock out some sky scrapers for us."
Moslof asked Merriwell to bat some to the outfield, and so Frank tossed
aside his yachting jacket and advanced toward the plate.
There was a sudden burst of applause from the grand stand and it went
all round the ground, bringing a hot flush to Merry's face.
"I wish they wouldn't do that!" he muttered.
Surely he was a handsome-looking fellow in his yachting suit. He
selected a bat, and then, without any apparent effort, drove out a high
liner for Cogern in deep center. He gave the fielders all the work they
wanted.
"Here come the Rocklands!"
A great crowd was coming up the road, in the van of which could be seen
the boys in gray from the Limerock City. The Rockland rooters had not
been frightened away by the report that Woods and Makune would play with
Camden. They were coming in a body to whoop and yell and growl for their
team--yes, to fight for it, if necessary.
They poured into the ground. All the available standing room was taken,
and the crowd overflowed so that it encroached upon the field. The
Camdens came in and let their opponents have the field for practice.
"Fellows," smiled Frank, as he joined his friends, "this is going to be
a hot afternoon."
"All of that," nodded Hodge. "It's plain there is an intense feeling of
rivalry between these two towns."
"Say, fellows," put in Jack Diamond, "I haven't stopped wondering yet."
"What about?" asked Frank.
"This part of the country. You told me we would have sport down here,
but I never expected anything like this. Why, there's rivers of sporting
blood in this section! How do they get together such ball teams? Camden
must pay Mower big money, or he would be in one of the big leagues. They
must have coughed liberally to Woods and Makune, for either of those two
fellows could get into a big league. Rockland has a full-salaried team,
and they say she pays her men two hundred and fifty dollars a week all
told. That's more money than the New England League pays."
"They don't go into anything halfway down here," smiled Merry. "I fancy
the ball team is a good thing for Camden. It advertises the town, as all
the games are reported in the Boston dailies, and it attracts summer
visitors. A good percentage of the spectators here now are summer
people."
The Rockland team began practice. They appeared more like professionals,
taken as a whole, than the Camdens, nearly all of whom seemed college
lads.
Practice was over in a short time, and then the home team prepared to go
to bat first, and the umpire took his position and called "play."
Although the Rockland "rooters" were on hand to shout for their team,
the fact that Camden had Woods and Makune made them cautious about
offering bets. In fact, two of Rockland's principal "sports" were
seeking to put money on Camden, but could not find takers without giving
odds.
Dayguild, Rockland's champion pitcher, the man held in reserve for
Camden, was sent into the box. He had seemed to hoodoo Camden, and
Rocklandites hoped he would keep up the good work.
Some Thomaston men who had come over to see the game stopped near
Merriwell and his party and laughed over the "snap" Camden would have
that day. One of them was telling the others how easy it was to rattle
Dayguild and break his courage by hitting him hard and putting two
rattling coachers on the line to keep him "up in the air." Frank did not
miss a word of this talk.
"Pop" Williamson was the first man to go to bat for Camden. He stood up
at the plate and looked at Dayguild. Dayguild laughed at him, saying:
"Pop, you're easy."
"Pop" laughed back, observing:
"I have to be easy with you, Gil, or I'd show you up, and you would lose
your job."
"That's what I call wit!" exclaimed Merriwell, in appreciation. "Pop is
all right. He'll get a hit."
He did. He cracked out Dayguild's first ball for an easy single, and
laughed at the Rockland pitcher as he trotted down to first.
"Thought I wouldn't put it into the woods this time, Gil," he said.
"That's a good start to rattle Dayguild if they would get after him,"
said a Thomaston man.
But Camden made the mistake of splitting her coachers, putting one at
third and one at first, and the men did not "open up" in a way to get
the Rockland pitcher on the string.
Putbury, or "Old Put," followed Williamson. He was a left-hand hitter,
and a good man, but Dayguild managed to give him the "evil eye" and
struck him out.
"I'm afraid you won't get away from first, Pop," said Dayguild, winking
at Williamson in a tantalizing manner.
"Oh, there's lots of time," returned the runner, calmly.
Cogern followed Putbury. He fanned twice, and then he cracked out a
daisy cutter that looked like a safe hit, for it got past the pitcher
and was going directly over second, with Smithers, the baseman, playing
away off.
But Smithers was a little fellow who could cover ground wonderfully. How
he ever reached second as soon as the ball and gathered it in was a
marvel, but he did the trick with an ease that brought an exclamation
of admiration from Merriwell.
As he picked the ball off the ground Smithers touched second and put
Williamson out. Then he whirled like a cat and sent the ball whistling
to first.
Rockland's first baseman smothered it with ease before Cogern could get
much more than halfway down the line, and a double play had been made,
which retired Camden with a whitewash as a starter.
What a wild howl of satisfaction went up from the throats of the
Rockland rooters! How they hammered on the railing and yelled! Their
satisfaction was unlimited, for they had not dreamed there could be such
a happy termination of the Camden's half of the first inning.
"Sorry for you, Pop," grinned Dayguild.
"It's a good thing for you there was a man like Smithers on second,"
returned Williamson. "It was a clean case of luck."
At this Dayguild laughed derisively, walking in to the bench.
Camden took the field. Woods stripped off his sweater and went into the
box. He was a clean, fine-looking fellow in his suit. He had warmed up a
little, and now he tossed a few to Williamson, who was on first.
Smithers, the captain of the Rocklands, was the first man to go to the
plate. He was known to be a most remarkable little hitter, without a
weak point that any pitcher had been able to discover.
Woods looked Smithers over, and then sent in a swift one that the little
man let pass.
The umpire called a ball.
"Whew!" exclaimed Diamond. "That's what I call speed."
"You don'd peen aple to seen dot pall ad all, eh?" cried Hans.
"Merry," said Bart, "Woods is the first fellow I ever saw who reminded
me of you in the box."
Smithers went after the next ball, but fouled it over the fence, and a
new ball was put into play. Again and again he fouled.
"You are finding him," cried the Rockland rooters.
At last Smithers hit it fairly on the trade mark, and sent it out into
right field for a single.
The Rockland crowd was delighted.
"Why, Woods is easy!" they roared.
Woods was not ruffled in the least. When the ball was thrown in, he
entered the box with it immediately, and then suddenly snapped his left
foot out and shot the ball over to first.
Smithers saved himself by a hair's breadth. It was a close decision on
the part of the umpire.
"Did you get onto that motion with his foot?" came eagerly from Hodge.
"It's Merriwell exactly! Why, the fellow appears more and more like you,
Frank!"
"That's so," grunted Browning.
Edwards, Rockland's shortstop, followed Smithers at bat. He was a large,
stocky, red-headed fellow, inclined to swagger and make more or less
unnecessary talk, but a good ball player and a hard hitter.
"Don't let him catch you, Smithers," he cried. "I'll land you on third."
Woods smiled. He was feeling first rate, and he did not believe Edwards
could keep his word. While standing carelessly in the box, he gave a
hitch at his pants with both hands, the right hand holding the ball, and
then sent a scorcher over the plate so quickly that Edwards was not
prepared and did not offer at it.
"One strike!" decided the umpire.
"That's the way to fool 'em on the first one," laughed Frank Merriwell,
softly. "Woods is up to tricks. Boys, that fellow is a dandy, I
believe."
Smithers tried to get a good start from first, but Woods kept him close
to the base, much to the delight of the Camden crowd. All Camden was
confident that Rockland was doomed to defeat that day.
The second ball was a coaxer, but Edwards let it pass. Then came another
swift one, and the batter went after it and missed it entirely.
The Camden crowd howled its delight.
"That's the stuff, Woodsie!" yelled a voice. "Leave Smithers on first,
same as they left Williamson."
"He can't do it, you know!" sung back a Rockland rooter.
Woods was the essence of coolness. He teased Edwards with two out-drops,
and then he seemed to gather himself for a speedy one. As the batting
score stood three balls and two strikes, the batter felt that Woods
would use a straight, swift ball and try to cut a corner of the plate.
Woods seemed to send the ball with all the strength he could command,
but, strange to say, it lingered in the air, and, too late, Edwards saw
it was a slow one.
The big shortstop bit at it. He smashed at it with all his strength, and
he hit the ball with the tip of his bat. The coacher had sent Smithers
for second on that ball when it left Woods' hand. It was too late to
stop him when they saw the ball popped up into the air as an easy
infield fly.
Makune called out that he would take it, and ran in under it. Edwards,
who had a lame knee, ran as if sprinting for his life. The ball hung in
the air a long time, while Makune stood under it, waiting for it to come
down.
When it did come down it created one of the sensations of the day, for
it dropped into Makune's hands and fell out. There was a roar of
astonishment that this crack infielder of the New England League should
drop a ball like that. Makune was the most astonished man within the
inclosure of that ball ground, for he had not done anything like that
before during the entire season.
Then there was a kick, as Moslof claimed that Makune dropped it
purposely, and, as he had thrown the ball over to first on picking it
up, Edwards was out on an infield fly, even though he had reached the
base ahead of the ball.
The umpire knew his business, however, and did not get rattled. He knew
that the rules declared a batter was out on an infield fly that could be
handled, providing there was a runner on first; even though the fielder
dropped the ball for the purpose of luring the man off first. But
Smithers had left first before Edwards struck the ball and was well on
his way to second, while Makune had not dropped the fly as a trick, but
because he could not hold it. The umpire decided that Smithers had
stolen second and Edwards was safe on first, which caused the Rockland
crowd to go wild with satisfaction, while the Camdenites groaned in
dismay, those who did not understand the point in the game declaring it
was an outrage, and those who did feeling that the umpire understood it
too well to be fooled.
Gulsiver, Rockland's center fielder, was the next batter. He went after
the second ball and found it, knocking it straight at Mower. Mower was
an erratic player, and, on this occasion, he stopped the ball, but he
chased it around his feet long enough to permit Gulsiver to get first
safely, and Smithers and Edwards moved up a base each.
The bags were full!
"That's a hard start for Camden," said Frank Merriwell, feeling his
sympathy go out toward the boys in red.
"Dot Voods don'd seem to peen doin' a great deal mit der Rocklandt
poys," observed Hans.
"It's not Woods' fault," declared Merry. "Smithers is the only man who
has secured a hit off him."
If Woods was worried or disgusted, he did not betray it. He continued to
pitch coolly and deliberately, for all the yelling of the Rockland crowd
and chinning of the coachers.
He struck out the next man, and followed that up by causing Hammond, the
fifth batter, to put up a low, infield fly, which Woods looked after
himself and caught.
Then it was Camden's turn to howl again, for, although the bases were
full, two men had been sent to the bench in a minute by the cool little
pitcher in crimson.
"This looks better," said Merriwell, beginning to smile again. "I'll bet
something Rockland does not score."
Shaddock was the next man at bat. Woods fooled him on a wide curve and a
swift inshoot. Then Shaddock got mad and nearly broke his back hitting
the ball.
The ball struck the ground near the home plate and rolled lazily down
toward third. Smithers had started for home, and Woods started for the
ball. As he passed the ball, Smithers tried to kick it aside, even
though he was taking chances of being seen by the umpire in doing the
trick. He failed to touch it, however, and, the next instant, Woods
gathered it up with one hand, taking it as he ran directly from first
base. Smithers was between him and the plate, and he could not see the
catcher. He did not hesitate a fraction of a second, he did not even
pause to straighten up, but, in a stooping position, he swung his arm
low and sent the ball whistling to first. Spectators afterward declared
that at no time was that ball more than two feet above the ground. It
went straight to first, Williamson gathered it in, and the Rocklands
were out without scoring.
Then such a roar went up to the heights of old Megunticook! The old
mountain must have fancied that the Indian warriors of long, long years
ago had returned and were holding a mighty powwow down there in its
shadow.
Men and boys were frantic. They hammered each other on the back, they
flung their hats into the air. Women screamed with joy and waved their
handkerchiefs. And Woods--just then he was the hero of the moment.
Scores of pretty girls were hugging each other and declaring that he was
"just perfectly lovely." But he was as cool and unruffled as ever,
seemingly utterly deaf to the roars of applause.
"I guess Camden is all right, after all," laughed Merriwell.
"Woods is a dandy," said Diamond.
"They do not need me to pitch for them to-day," declared Frank.
Dayguild grinned and chewed gum as he entered the box and faced little
McDornick, champion base runner of the Camdens. McDornick was
palpitating with eagerness to hit the ball. He hated to let the first
one pass, although Dayguild sent in a wide teaser. He went for the
second one, and hammered it out for two bags, although with an ordinary
runner it would have been no more than a pretty single.
"Gil, you're pie," laughed Williamson, from the bench.
"You will find him hot pie before the game is over," said a Rockland
man.
Moslof went to bat. He was eager, also--far too eager, for he struck at
the first ball, although it was not within reach. But McDornick stole
third on it, reaching the bag in advance of the ball by a beautiful lone
slide.
Then Moslof batted one down to Edwards and was thrown out at first.
Mower came next. Sometimes he was a hitter. This was not one of the
times. He fanned out, and still McDornick was shivering on third.
Makune faced Dayguild. It was not for the first time, as he had faced
him many times before in the New England League. Although Makune was not
a heavy hitter, he had done remarkable work for the first of the season,
and Dayguild was afraid of him. With the ball under his arm, the
Rockland pitcher turned to observe the positions of the men in the
field. His back was toward McDornick.
There was a shout of warning from the crowd, and Dayguild whirled to see
a figure in crimson shooting toward the plate like a streak of fire.
It was McDornick attempting to steal home!
The nerve of the act dazed Dayguild for a moment, and then he threw the
ball to the catcher, thinking to put out the runner with ease.
The catcher dropped it!
McDornick made a headlong plunge for the plate, touched it, leaped up
and dodged away before the catcher could pick up the ball.
Camden had scored!
Roar, roar, roar! The crowd went wild with joy. The black cliffs above
flung back the burst of sound. It seemed enough to wake the dead in the
distant cemetery tinder the slope of Battie. It was heard far down in
the heart of the town, and it brought more spectators hurrying to the
ball ground.
Williamson sat on the bench and laughed tauntingly at Dayguild, who was
flustered and excited.
"Now, if they know how to do the trick, they can win the game in this
inning," said a Thomaston man.
But Makune was not in good form, and he rolled one down to third, being
thrown out at first, which retired Camden with one score.
But Woods pitched wonderful ball the next inning, and Rockland was given
another whitewash.
By this time Dayguild had recovered his composure, and he pitched so
well that Slatridge, Woods and Williamson went out in quick succession.
Then came a fatal half for Camden. Merriwell had seen Woods feeling of
his elbow and working it as if it did not feel just right, and he was
not surprised when Rockland fell to batting the new pitcher of the
Camdens.
"Moslof ought to take Woods out," Frank said to Diamond. "He has hurt
that lame arm already."
"You must be wrong, Merry," said the Virginian. "See the speed he is
using. Why, I can hardly see the ball as it goes over the plate."
"Speed is all he is using," declared Merriwell, "and Rockland is eating
speed. He can't use his curves, as it hurts his arm to do so."
Now the Rockland crowd had a chance to yell and laugh, and cheer, for,
although Woods seemed to be pitching good ball, the "Limeburners" had
donned their "batting clothes," and were hitting anything and
everything. The fielders were kept busy, and Rockland players chased
each other round the bases till six scores had come in.
"I said Moslof ought to take Woods out," said Merriwell, soberly. "The
game is lost now."
"Woods can't be the pitcher we thought he was," said Diamond, in
disappointment.
"Woods is all right if he doesn't spoil that arm," asserted Frank. "If
he sticks to professional ball and takes care of his arm, he'll be in
the National League before many years."[1]
[Footnote 1: A prophecy that has come true, as Walter Woods was signed
by Chicago several years ago. He can play any position on the diamond,
and is one of the cleanest men in the business. Not long ago he pitched
on the Camden team of the Knox County League, in the State of Maine.
Sockalexis, the Indian player, who was with the Clevelands last season,
and who created a sensation wherever he appeared, also played in the
Knox County League.--The Author.]
At last Woods struck out the third man, and Rockland was retired, but
not till she had secured a lead of five scores.
Dayguild laughed at Williamson as he went into the box.
"It's all over now," he declared. "Camden is buried."
"You can't tell about that," returned Williamson. "You have had your
turn, ours will come."
But it did not come that day, although Woods pitched the game out and
held Rockland down so that she obtained but one more score. The game
finally ended seven to five in favor of Rockland.
A more delighted crowd than the rooters from the Limerock city could not
be found. They guyed every Camdenite they knew. They declared that
Camden was a snap for Rockland, and always would be a snap. They were
insolent in their satisfaction and delight.
Down into town rushed the Rocklandites. They bought every tin horn they
could find, and at least a dozen cow bells. They bought tin pans and
drummed on them with sticks. They bought brooms and paraded with them to
indicate that they had swept Camden clean. They made a frightful racket
in the very heart of the village, and their scornful remarks about
Camden and Camdenites in general were of a nature to arouse the anger
of any inhabitant of the town at the foot of the mountains.
At last the cars from Rockland came, three of them being required to
handle the crowd. They piled on and went out of Camden blowing horns,
ringing bells, beating tin pans and howling derision.
Frank Merriwell stood on the corner near the opera house and heard all
this. He could feel the blood within him getting warmer and warmer. He
considered Moslof a fine fellow and he admired Woods. His sympathy was
with Camden.
Moslof and Woods came down the street together and paused near Frank.
Woods was making no excuses.
"They hit me out, that's all," he said. "I want to pitch against them
again when this arm is rested."
Frank stepped forward.
"When do you play Rockland again, Moslof?" he asked.
"To-morrow," was the answer. "The schedule brings these two games
together."
"Who will pitch?"
"I don't know. Woods can't, Williamson is not in shape, I am afraid to
put Slatridge in, and Bascomb never was any good against Rockland,
although he is a good man against any other team."
"You wanted me to pitch to-day," said Frank.
"Yes."
"I might not have done any better than Woods. He is a dandy, and he can
monkey with Rockland when his arm is all right. I knew you ought to take
him out at the beginning of the third, and I told Diamond so. I could
see that his arm was keeping him working speed, and Rockland was eating
speed."
"That's right," nodded Woods. "It was the best I could do that inning.
No matter where I put them, they hit them out. I worked a change of
pace, but that did not seem to bother them. After that inning, however,
I kept them guessing."
"You pitched winning ball all through the game, with the exception of
that fatal inning, and it is probable those fellows would have hammered
anybody that inning. They had a batting streak, and they made the most
of it."
Then he suddenly turned to Moslof, asking:
"Do you want me to pitch for you to-morrow?"
Moslof gave a jump.
"Do I want you?" he exclaimed. "I should guess yes! Will you do it?"
"I will."
Moslof seized Merry's hand.
"Old man, you have won my everlasting gratitude. To-morrow we'll put a
team into the field that will paralyze Rockland. It will be such a team
as Rockland or the State of Maine never saw before! Will we do 'em? Oh,
say! We'll wipe 'em off the earth!"
"Oh, that's not certain," cautioned Frank. "You can't be sure of a
victory till it is won. Camden thought she had a sure thing to-day."
"It will be different to-morrow," said Moslof. "If you pitch a winning
game, the people of Camden will give you the whole town when we get back
here!"
"Well, I shall do my best to pitch winning ball," assured Merry.
Directly after supper, which all the boys except Hans took at the Bay
View, the Dutch lad being sent off aboard the _White Wings_, a buckboard
with four wide seats came round for a party, and Merry was surprised to
find that he was expected to be one of the party. Browning, Diamond and
Hodge were included. The others were members of the Camden ball team.
When the buckboard was loaded the driver cracked his whip over the four
handsome horses, and away they went through town, up over Harbor Hill
and along the street that led toward the foot of the mountains.
Soon they were close under the cliffs of Battie. There were some
splendid singers in the party, and they awoke the echoes with the old
college songs.
In the cool shadows of twilight they rolled along the famous turnpike,
with Battie behind them and the frowning heights of Megunticook rising
directly over their heads. On Maiden Cliff, standing out against the
sky, they saw the white cross that marks the spot where a beautiful girl
fell to her death on the cruel rocks below. At times the winding road
seemed to lead directly into the lake that they could see shimmering
through the trees. It was one of the most beautiful drives Merriwell had
ever taken.
They turned about finally and came back by the way of Lake City, a
charming collection of cottages assembled at one of the most picturesque
spots to be found around the island-dotted lake. The driver pointed out
the spot where the famous Lake City Inn had stood before the fire that
wiped out the beautiful summer hotel.
By this time night had fallen, but the full moon was high in the
heavens, shedding a pure white light over all and giving the scene a
glamour that it could not have by day. Indeed, it was so light that the
cross on Maiden Cliff could be seen even better than they had seen it in
the twilight.
"Now, fellows," said Moslof, "there is another place we had better visit
to-night."
"Where is that?" asked several.
"The Summit House, on Mount Battie."
"Hurrah for the Summit House!" shouted the boys.
"We'll have to do some walking."
"We can walk up all right."
"I don't know about that," grunted Bruce Browning. "I came out to
ride."
"It will do you good to walk."
But Bruce could not agree with Merriwell, and Moslof, laughing, said
that Browning should not leave the buckboard till he was safely on the
top of Battie. This relieved the big fellow's mind, and he grunted:
"All right. Go ahead."
Before they reached the foot of the mountain after leaving Lake City
they turned off into a road that led back into the woods. Soon they came
to the new road that had been constructed by the energy and
determination of the shrewd owner of the hotel on the heights. This road
proved to be even better than the boys had anticipated, but it was very
steep in places, so that every man except Browning walked. As for Bruce,
no amount of guying could induce him to get off and climb.
The moonlight sifted down through the trees, making white patches amid
the black shadows. There was not much air, and the walking lads were
perspiring freely before they were far from the foot of the ascent; but
they stuck to it, and, at last, they were relieved to come out of the
winding way and see the lights of the hotel before them.
With a cheer, they rushed forward toward the building.
Moslof led the way round the end, and then all stopped, uttering
exclamations of admiration.
Below them in the white moonlight lay the village, the harbor, the bay,
the great stretch of beautiful country. Hundreds of lights twinkled in
the town, the electric street lamps showing white and clear and marking
the limits of the village.
Away to the south was Rockport, her electric lamps paled by the clear
moonlight. Miles beyond Rockport was Rockland, her location also plainly
marked by lights. Between Rockport and Camden a lighted trolley car was
flying along.
Jack Diamond drew a deep breath, and his hand fell on Frank's arm.
"Merriwell," he said, "I want to thank you for bringing me down into
this country. It surely is a wonderful land at this season of the year,
no matter what it may be in winter. This is the most beautiful view my
eyes ever rested upon."
"Everybody says that," put in Moslof. "No matter where they have been,
they say that."
"I have traveled a little over the world," said Merriwell, "and I must
say this is the most entrancing view I have ever looked upon."
"I'm glad I took the trouble to come up," sighed Browning.
As they were standing there, gazing enraptured upon the scene, there was
a burst of girlish laughter from the hotel. Then at least a dozen girls
came out upon the veranda.
"What have we struck?" exclaimed Frank.
"It must be a party," said Moslof. "Let's go in."
Go in they did, the proprietor of the hotel meeting and welcoming them.
It proved that Moslof was right, there was a party of girls up from the
village, and Frank's sharp eyes found Phebe Macey was among them.
Not a few of the girls were known to the boys. Those who were not known
were introduced.
"What a place for a dance!" thought Frank, as he looked the dining room
over. "These tables could be cleared away, and then we----"
He caught sight of the proprietor, and, in another moment, he drew the
man aside.
"If you want to dance, I'm willing," was the consent of the genial owner
of the Summit House. "But where's your music? There's a fiddle here, but
who can play it?"
"I'll find somebody!" cried Frank, and he rushed for Diamond.
But, before the dance could be started, it was found that the consent of
the young lady chaperon who had accompanied the girls must be obtained.
Frank approached her. At first she was not favorable, but Merriwell used
diplomacy and finally won her over so that she consented to let the
girls remain and dance an hour.
Then there was a hustling to clear the dining room floor. The old violin
was brought out and Diamond proceeded to tune up.
Frank sought Phebe and asked her to waltz with him.
"I don't think I will dance," she said, pretending to pout a bit.
"Why not?" asked Merry, in surprise. "You do dance, do you not?"
"Oh, sometimes."
"And you will refuse me?"
"You deserve to be refused."
"Why, pray?" asked Frank, surprised.
"I asked a favor of you to-day."
A light broke in on Frank.
"Oh, is that it? You wanted me to pitch for Camden?"
"Yes."
"And I didn't. Well, can't you pardon me this time?"
"Really, I do not think you deserve it."
"Perhaps not, but, if I promise to do better, will you----"
"It's too late now."
"How is that?"
"Camden lost."
"And might have lost just the same if I had pitched."
"No," she said, with confidence, "I know all about your pitching. You
would have won the game."
"There is another game to-morrow."
"Oh, that's in Rockland, and the Rocklands always win on their own
ground."
"Is that their reputation? Well, perhaps we may be able to break the
spell and defeat them on their own ground once."
"'We!' What do you mean by that? It can't be that you will pitch for
Camden to-morrow?"
"Will you waltz with me if I'll agree to do so?"
"Yes," was her instant answer.
"Done!" said Frank. "I'll pitch."
Then Diamond struck into a beautiful waltz, and Frank and Phebe were the
first on the floor, his arm about her waist, her hand gently clasped in
his.