“Can’t fool them that way.”
“Merriwell will fool them with his double-shoot.”
“Double-shoot be jiggered! No man ever threw such a thing.”
“Wait and see.”
Such was the talk on the bleachers.
“Take the field,” said Merry, and the men trotted out.
Then practise began. Two of the Denver men batted the balls out, while Bart and Frank made ready to do some warming up on the side.
The work of the Reds had been almost flawless in practise, but such could not be said of Merry’s team. They showed their want of practise, although they went after everything with a will. Rattleton had not been playing ball for some time, and he was not used to the ground around second, which caused him to make two bad fumbles of hot grounders.
“He’s a dead one,” declared the crowd.
Out in left field, Swiftwing misjudged the first ball he went after and failed to touch it when he should have done so.