Madison was astounded and infuriated.
“Wait till my turn comes again!” he snarled, as he flung the bat down.
“Get-a ready to score, you black-a rascal,” cried Tonando to Johnson, as he danced out to the plate.
“I’s waitin’, ma-a-an,” retorted Johnson, dancing off third and back again. “Just yo’ git any kind of a hit an’ see me cleave de air.”
Tonando let one pass and then met the next, getting a safe single on a fast grounder that Rattleton failed to touch.
“Just as e-e-easy, chillun!” laughed Johnson, as he came home. “Why, dis is a cinch!”
The crowd now redoubled its ridicule of Merriwell.
Gibson prepared to hit, being overconfident. To his surprise, he missed twice. Then he put up an easy infield fly and was out, which retired the side.
Cartersville had made two runs in the first inning, and every man on the team felt that they might have obtained many more with ease.
Without letting them secure too many runs, Merry had placed them in a frame of mind that would enable him to deceive them for a while, at least, before they awoke to their mistake.