While they took their positions, and Merry was given a moment to warm up, the crowd fell silent. Even the Franklin rooters had cheered, for they were clean sportsmen, but the Fardale fans began to realize that Merry had arrived too late.
“They can’t do anything now except hold ’em down,” declared Coach Trayne.
New life had been infused into the team, however. Villum Kess was capering around in right field trying to stand on his head, and almost succeeding. The ball was being snapped around the bases in wonderful fashion. One and all, the team were leaping into action as if the coming of Merry and his friends had turned the tide.
Yet the score stood four to one, and the bases were filled, there were none out.
“Play ball!” called the umpire.
The Franklin batter stepped into his box. Merry poised himself on the mound and nodded at Billy’s eager signal.
Then Merry did a strange thing:
He knew that the men behind him had regained confidence, and he proceeded to show his confidence in them by lobbing over a slow, straight ball. The batter almost gasped with astonishment, but swung and took it on the nose.
“Wow!”
The crowd came up on its toes. The ball drove across the field like a bullet, so quickly that it could hardly be seen what had happened. The shortstop put out his glove, and the ball struck. Instantly he leaped to second.