"Now, fellows, we've got to win!" declared Tom emphatically just before the game started. "Last time we played Fairview we lost by a score of ten to three. Don't let it happen again."

"No, don't you dare to," cautioned Mr. Leighton.

A moment later the Randall players went out in the field, the home team having the privilege of batting last. The umpire took the new ball from its foil cover, and tossed it to Tom. The tall, good-looking pitcher looked at it critically, glanced around the field to see that his men were in position, and then sent in a few practice b.a.l.l.s to Dutch Housenlager, who loomed up big and confident behind home plate.

Ted Puder, the Fairview center fielder and captain, was the first man up, and was greeted with a round of cheers as he tapped his bat on the rubber. Dutch signalled for an out curve and Tom delivered it, right over the plate.

"Strike!" called the umpire.

"Wow!" jeered Fairview's friends, for Puder had not swung at it.

"Robber!" yelled some one, but the Fairview captain only laughed. "Make him give you a good one, Puder," he said.

But waiting availed Puder nothing, for Tom neatly struck him out, and followed it by doing the same to Lem Sellig. Frank Sullivan managed to find Tom's second delivery, and sent a neat little liner out toward Bricktop Molloy, at short. Bricktop seemed to have it fairly in his grasp, even though he had to reach out to one side for it, but his foot slipped, and the ball went on past him.

"Run, Frank, run!" screamed a score of voices, and Frank legged it for first, reaching the bag before Joe Jackson in left field could run up and redeem Bricktop's error by stopping the rolling ball.

"Never mind, two down--play for the batter," advised Dutch in a signal to Tom, and the pitcher nodded comprehendingly. Ned Williams, who followed Sullivan, knocked two fouls, both of which Dutch tried hard to get, but could not. Then Tom struck him out with a puzzling drop, and a goose egg went up on the score board for Fairview.

"Guess they're not finding us as soft as they expected," remarked Holly Cross, as his side came in.

"It's early yet," advised Tom. "Wait until about the fifth inning, and then talk."

"Do you wish to spank me?" asked Bricktop, as he came up to Tom, looking sorrowful over his error.

"Don't do it again, that's all," said Coach Leighton.

"Not for worlds," promised the red-haired shortstop.

CHAPTER XX

RANDALL SCORES FIRST

Holly Cross was up first, and he faced John Allen, the Fairview pitcher, with a grin of confidence. He swung viciously at the first ball, and missed it clean.

"Make him give you a nice one," called Bricktop, who was coaching from third. "We've got all day, Holly. He'll tire in about two innings.

He has no Irish blood in him, as I have," and there was a laugh at Bricktop's "rigging" while the Fairview pitcher smiled sheepishly.

But though Holly waited, it availed him but little. Three b.a.l.l.s were called for him, after his first strike, though the Fairview crowd wanted to injure the umpire. Then Allen stiffened, and Holly walked back to the bench without even swinging the stick again.

"Only one gone. We've got plenty of chances yet," called Bricktop, from the coaching box, and in his enthusiasm he stepped over the line. The umpire warned him back. Dan Woodhouse was up next.

"Make kindling wood of your bat," yelled an enthusiastic freshman in the Randall bleachers, but though Dan sent a nice bingle to center, well over the pitcher's head, the second baseman pulled it down, and Dan was out. Bricktop repeated this, save that he flied to Herbert Bower, in left field, and Randall had a zero to her credit.

In the second and third innings neither side scored, and when the fourth was half over, with another minus mark for Fairview the crowd began to sit up and take notice.

"This'll be a hot game before it's through," prophesied Bert Bascome, who with Ford Fenton, and a crowd of like spirits sat together.

"That's right," agreed Ford. "My uncle says----"

"Sit down! Sit down!" yelled a score of voices about him, though the unfortunate Ford was not standing. He knew, however, what was meant, and uttered no protest.

Though Randall did her best when her chance came in the ending of the fourth, nothing resulted. Backus flied to Sam Soden and Tom Parsons managed to get to first on a clean hit to right field, but Joe Jackson, who followed him, struck out, and, as though emulating his brother, the other Jersey twin did likewise, letting Tom die on second.

"Say, when is something going to happen?" asked Holly Cross of Tom, as the home team filed out in the field.

"It ought to, pretty soon now," replied Tom, as he kicked a small stone out of the pitchers' box.

Bean Perkins, with his crowd of "shouters" started the "Wallop 'em" song, in an endeavor to make things lively, and he very nearly succeeded, for John Allen, who came up first in the beginning of the fifth, rapped out a pretty one to left field. It looked as if Joe Jackson would miss it, but Joe wasn't there for that purpose. He had a long run to the side to get within reaching distance of the horsehide, but, as though to make up for striking out, he made a sensational catch, and was roundly applauded, while Allen walked back disgustedly from first, which he had almost reached.

"Pretty catch! Lovely catch!" yelled Bean Perkins. "Now a couple more like that, and things will be all ready for us when our boys come in."

Herbert Bower and Sam Soden, the next two Fairview players who followed Allen, were both struck out by Tom, who was doing some fine twirling, having given no player his base on b.a.l.l.s yet.

"Now, boys, show 'em what you can do!" pleaded a score of Randall "fans," as Tom and his men walked in to the bench for their share of the fifth inning.

Dutch Housenlager was up first, and he selected a bat with care.

"What are you going to do, me son," asked Bricktop solicitously.

"Knock a home run," declared Dutch, and he faced the pitcher with a grim air. He didn't do that, but he did rap out a single, and got to first.

Then came Phil Clinton, who made a sacrifice bunt. That is, it was intended for that, but the pitcher fumbled it, and was delayed in getting it to first. Then the throw was so wild that the Fairview first baseman had to take his foot off the bag to get it, and, meanwhile Phil was legging it for the bag for all he was worth, while Dutch went on to second.

"Batter's out!" howled the umpire, though it seemed to all the Randall players that Phil was safe. Tom protested hotly at the decision, but it stood, and, though it looked as if there would be trouble, Mr. Leighton calmed things down.

"Only one gone," he said, "and Holly Cross is up next. He'll bring in Dutch, and score himself."

Holly sent out a beautiful hit to center field, and there was a chorus of joyful cries.

"Go on! Go on!"

"Make a home run!"

"Come on in, Dutch, you old ice wagon!"

Dutch legged it from second to third, and started home, but the ball, which the center fielder had managed to get sooner than had been expected, looked dangerous to Dutch, and he ran back to third, after being halfway home. Holly was safe on second, and amid a storm of encouraging yells Dan Woodhouse got up.

"Now a home run, Kindlings!" called the crowd, and then Bean and his cohorts began singing: "We've Got 'em on the Run Now."

Dan got two b.a.l.l.s, and the third one was just where he wanted it. He slammed it out for a three base hit, and Dutch and Holly scored the first two runs of the game, while Tom did a war dance at third, where he was coaching. On a single by Bricktop Dan came in, though he was nearly caught at home, for the ball was quickly relayed in from left field, where the shortstop had sent it, but old Kindlings slid in through a cloud of dust, and Charley Simonson, who was catching for Fairview, dropped the horsehide, so Dan's run counted.

"Three--nothing! Three--nothing!" yelled Tom, wild with joy. "Now, boys, we've struck our gait! And only one out!"

"Watch his gla.s.s arm break!" shouted several in scorn at the Fairview pitcher, but the latter refused to let them get his "goat" or rattle him and kept a watchful eye on Bricktop at first, when Pete Backus came up.