THE ATHLETICS TAKE THE LEAD.
A roar arose from the crowd--a roar of anger at the outrageous action
of the ruffianly catcher. The witnesses saw Frank Merriwell leap out
from the bench and dart toward McCann, and it seemed that a thousand
voices shouted:
“Go for him!”
Frank needed no urging. He might have restrained himself under other
circumstances, but the sight of his brother’s bloody face had caused
him to cast aside all restraint.
McCann saw Merry coming and cast off the big catching-mitt, whirling
to face the furious brother of the youth he had injured.
Not a word escaped Merry’s lips, but he went straight at the ruffian.
McCann stepped forward to meet him, but Merry could no more be
stopped than could an avalanche under way. Frank found an opening in
the fellow’s guard and knocked him down instantly.
Up sprang the hard-headed bruiser, but he went down as quick as he
rose. Again McCann jumped up, and again he went down. Each time he
was knocked more than ten feet away, and Merriwell followed him up
closely.
As Merry struck the fellow the fourth time Squinty Jim endeavored
to get in and take part in the affray. He made a dive for Merry,
swinging a bat.
But a bloody-faced lad who had risen from the ground was on hand to
balk Squinty’s project, and the young thug received a jolt under the
ear that sent him spinning to one side.
Then the players of both sides rushed in and the fight was over.
The moment he realized everything that had happened Frank Merriwell
was very sorry.
“Before all these people!” he said. “It’s a shame! They came here to
witness a game of baseball, not a prize-fight. Where is Dick?”
“Here.”
Dick came up, wiping the blood from his face with his handkerchief.
One cheek was bruised and his chin was cut.
“Hurt bad?” asked Frank.
“Not very,” was the answer.
“I thought you must be. Your face looked bad when that big brute got
off your head.”
“He stunned me for a minute.”
“Methinks he hath been duly repaid,” chuckled Ready. “He looks like
a dish-rag about now.”
In truth, McCann was badly done up, and in no condition to catch
further during that game. He had found at last that he was no match
for Frank Merriwell.
So it was necessary to get yet another man into a suit before the
game could be continued.
Nick Robinson tried to excuse the action of McCann, but he could not
say much, and even his own players would not back him up.
Frank, however, became more and more regretful over what had happened.
“Never took part in any such disgraceful affair on a ball-field
before to-day,” he said. “I wonder what people will think.”
Ready had reached second, and Carson came up with great hopes of
sending him home.
The new catcher’s name was Corday. He was a tall fellow and a good
thrower. He gave a sample of his throwing when Ready played far off
second on a pitch. Down to the bag Corday lined the ball, and Jack
barely got back in time to escape being caught.
Carson managed to hit the ball all right, but the left-fielder
captured it, after a long run, and the first half of the inning was
over.
“Now, boys, we must shut them out and hold our lead,” said Merriwell.
“Everybody keep on his toes.”
McGlinkey was the first hitter, and he smashed the second ball
pitched, driving it along the ground past second base. This was a
good opening, and the rooters for the home team opened up earnestly.
Waldron sacrificed McGlinkey to second in very handsome style, and it
began to look like a possible score for the professionals.
Corday, however, was not a heavy hitter, and the best he could do was
to sacrifice the runner to third.
With two out, Webster came to the plate.
Hodge called for the double-shoot, but Merry shook his head. Bart was
puzzled, as Frank had ceased using that curve after the first inning.
Webster was crafty and did not try to kill the ball. Instead he hit
it just hard enough to drop it over the infield, and McGlinkey came
racing home with the score that tied.
Hodge was angry.
“What’s the use?” he muttered to himself: “Merry might have stopped
that score. Why won’t he use the double?”
“Hard luck, Merriwell,” grinned Robinson. “But you have done
very well for a youngster. You’ll make a good pitcher with more
experience.”
“Thank you!” said Frank, aroused by the words of the man.
Then he proceeded to strike out Robinson in short order, saying, as
Nick fanned the final time:
“Too bad, Mr. Robinson! You’ll make a batter some day, but you’ll
have to learn to hit those easy ones. Almost anybody ought to hit
those.”
“That’s right!” Robinson muttered, smiling sickly.
Again Frank sought to impart some of his energy to his players as
they came up to hit. Hodge started well with a hit, but Browning
flied to the infield. Gamp fouled out, and Bart remained on first.
“They can’t hit him safely!” said Hodge to Frank, who was coaching
near first.
“Of course not!” laughed Hayward, the baseman. “You’ve obtained more
hits off him now than you ought to have.”
“Why, we haven’t begun to hit him!” said Merry. “Wait till our streak
comes.”
“You need it pretty soon, for the game is getting along.”
“Lots of time. It’s not quite half-over.”
Nesbitt was well satisfied when he finally retired the Merries
without a man reaching second.
“Great pitching!” cried his admirers.
Again Merry went into the box and pitched steadily, although two
clean hits were made off him. He was able to prevent anybody from
scoring by his clever work.
In the sixth one of Merry’s men got around to third, but was left
there.
Waldron was the first hitter for the professionals, and he sent a
hot one at Ready, who failed to get it over in time to catch him at
first.
Then Corday came up and sacrificed Waldron to second.
Webster met the ball squarely and drove out a two-bagger that sent
Waldron home.
Once more the home team had taken the lead, but that did not satisfy
them, for Robinson sent out a long fly, on which, after it was
caught, Webster advanced to third.
Two men were out, but the professionals had a runner on third.
Again Bart called for the double-shoot. Again Frank shook his head.
Maloney was fierce to get in a rap, and Frank hoped to make him fan.
But the center-fielder of the Athletics managed to lift out a dinky
hit that let Webster come home with yet another run.
Frank resorted to speed now, and forced Flobert to fan twice. Then he
fooled the batter with one of Nesbitt’s own, which was a slow ball
that came up like a lump of dough. Flobert hit it, but knocked it
straight into the hands of Ready, who took pains to make his throw to
first good.
The score was four to two in favor of the professionals.