Conway was not the right hitter. Roberts was the man, and Buckhart knew it.
At this point the scorer for the home team discovered the mistake and invited Roberts to hasten into the batters’ box.
Even as he did so, the heavens seemed to open and the rain came down in torrents.
“Time!” called the umpire, and the players scudded for shelter, while the crowd on the bleachers followed their example.
“Now,” said Buckhart, “let her rain thirty minutes! That’s all we ask!”
It did rain thirty minutes. In fact, it rained an hour before stopping, and the umpire declared it no game.
CHAPTER XVIII.
CHARGE AND CONFESSION.
Among themselves the Fardale boys confessed that the rain had come just in time to save them from defeat. Of course, many of them were confident they would have won out had it held off until nine innings were played. But had it delayed until the close of the fifth inning the score would have been five to two in favor of Fairport.
“Talk about luck!” growled Don Roberts, as he accompanied Merriwell to the hotel after the rain had ceased. “You fellows certainly had it in that shower. Why, we had the game clinched!”
“You had a five-inning game clinched,” confessed Dick. “You certainly worked hard, Roberts, old man, to play five innings before the rain fell.”