“Here we are, cap’n!” excitedly whispered Abe, seizing his sleeve and pulling him down into the seat. “We’re almost there!”
As the train drew up at the station they looked out and saw on the platform a great crowd of cadets, who promptly began to cheer. The Franklin boys piled off in a hurry and were received with demonstrations of enthusiasm.
In the midst of this excitement Wiley and Little Abe were unnoticed.
CHAPTER XXVII.
A CHANGE OF SIGNALS.
Franklin had various reasons for her self-confidence. Principal among these was the fact that her team was stronger than ever before. It was also known that since Dick’s unfortunate injury of his side he had found it impossible to use the highest speed and the most difficult curves to any great extent in any game. He was compelled to depend on headwork rather than curves and speed. But that was not all. Some traitor in the Fardale camp had betrayed Dick’s signals to the enemy. With the aid of these signals Merriwell kept his whole team posted on the kind of balls he was pitching; but now the enemy would be equally well posted. The batter would know just what was coming, and Franklin felt sure she would biff the ball all over the field. Still another thing added to the confidence of the visitors. It had been secretly whispered about that Nort Madison had fixed things with the umpire. In case the game was close near the finish, Franklin would get all the favors.
No wonder the visitors marched confidently to Fardale Field. No wonder those among them who had bet on their team were already planning how they would spend their winnings.
Never was there a more beautiful day. The air was soft and balmy, and the sunshine was full of mellowness. All the world was fresh and green. It was just the day to bring out a great crowd of spectators to witness a baseball game, and a crowd was present at Fardale Field.
At two o’clock the Franklin players, in their dark-blue suits and red caps and stockings, entered the inclosure and marched across to their bench.
Immediately the faithful ones who had accompanied them from Franklin to Fardale rose and gave them a hearty cheer.
Bat bags were opened, and bats brought forth and arranged in a line on the ground, in front of the visitors’ bench. These bats were guarded by a colored boy, who was the mascot of the team. Within three minutes after entering the inclosure the Franklin players were engaged in desultory practice.