But nothing of this appeared to the men on the field, much less to the spectators. With splendid grit and unflagging cheerfulness he kept at the work without a murmur, using every cure at his command and every possible wile on the man at the bat, though not sparing himself when speed was necessary. And, thanks to Buckhart’s signals, the mine boys soon discovered to their cost that they could steal no bases on the Yale pitcher.
Off the field Merriwell’s cheery voice, on the coaching lines or at the plate, put new life into the Forest Hills fellows and kept them from growing disheartened as the fierce battle waged without further tangible results on either side.
One man on the field saw more than did the others. The big Texan seemed to realize something of what his friend was suffering, and the knowledge spurred him to do more than his best. There were no errors in the Westerner’s brilliant playing. There were no passed balls; his throws into the field were swift, accurate, and perfect; his eyes seemed to take in every foot of the diamond; and, time and time again, his rapid signals caused an unexpected put-out on bases.
At each turn at the bat he made a clean hit; one was a two-bagger, which the rapid fielding and steady play of the mine boys made ineffective.
But, in spite of all this, the seventh inning ended without either side having added to their score.
Before Dick went into the box he had Gardiner put his right arm into a sling. It seemed to him that if he could have it tied firmly so that it wouldn’t swing he could get along better.
“If it’s as bad as that you ought to stop,” protested the curly haired captain.
Dick shook his head decidedly.
“At the beginning of the eighth!” he exclaimed lightly. “Never! It’s a pity if I can’t hold out for two innings. We’ve got to get at least a couple of runs, you know, old fellow.”
Among the spectators the excitement was intense. Such a game had never before been seen in Forest Hills, and every man sat forward on the edge of his seat, his eyes glued on the field. Something must happen soon.