Those Yale men gathered about Merry seeking an explanation, but he declined to make it until after the game.
“No time to talk now,” he said. “We’ve got to win this game, and that will keep us busy.”
“But we’ll win it!” they declared.
King Jimmy was surrounded by his subjects. Happy? Why, it didn’t seem that there was room enough for his swelling heart in his bosom.
The Yale men went to bat, and it happened that Merriwell was the first to come up. He got a two-bagger off the second ball Paragon delivered, and that brought the head of the batting-list, its strongest portion, against the U. V. pitcher.
Strange how fortune will seem to turn in a game of ball, the same as in a game of cards. A little while before none of those men seemed able to hit the ball; now they came up one after another and biffed it. Frank scored; Ready followed him; Castleman came round in turn—three scores before a man went out. Then, with Hodge and Browning ahead of him on the bags, Gamp put a fly into the hands of the left-fielder. Carson came up and was thrown out at first.
The score was five to four, and it seemed that Yale had suddenly come to a stand.
Carker got a good drive into right field, and Browning came puffing home.
The score was tied, and the inning ended with it that way.
The coming of Merriwell saved the game for Yale, the final score standing six to five. It was a tight squeeze, but one score was quite enough.