“Ball one!” cried the umpire.
Again McDonough tried a coaxer, but the Yale man refused to bite, nor did he budge when the ball came whistling over the plate a little too high and cut the pan almost on a level with Dick’s neck.
“You’ve got him in a hole,” laughed Gardiner. “He’s going to make you a present of the base.”
McDonough grinned sourly and then put one straight over the centre of the plate.
Dick played the game and let it pass.
“Strike one!” declared the umpire.
The miner reached for the inside corner on his next delivery and caught it.
“Strike two!”
Then the Mispah man sought to send over a high one across Merriwell’s chest.
Dick lifted his bat, holding it loosely, and dropped the ball on the ground with a skillful bunt. It rolled slowly along the base line, and both McDonough and Rooney dashed after it, while the Yale man flew toward the base as though endowed with wings. Ten feet from the sack he launched himself through the air, feet first, and touched the hassock a second before the ball plunked into the baseman’s glove.