Dick took pains and smashed down one of the standing wings with his second ball. His third, however, left a pin standing, and Frank had gained another.
In the sixth box Starbright had seventy-three, with Merriwell just ten pins behind him.
By this time Frank had the range of the alley, and now he sent a strike-ball tearing into the pins, mowing them all down in a twinkling.
“I knew it!” said Browning, with intense satisfaction.
“Oh, mercy!” whooped Ready. “Did you ever in your life! Wasn’t that a bird!”
“Here is where he gets right into it,” said Buck to Winnie. “I knew he would.”
But Starbright was not shaken in the least, and he came near duplicating Merry’s feat, for, with his first ball, he smashed down every pin but one.
“Now, that was genuine hard luck!” exclaimed Frank sincerely. “That ball was just as good as mine, but the pins did not happen to fall just right.”
Dick looked grim and determined, and he went for the single pin, getting it easily, which gave him a spare.
“You may get as many with your spare as he does with his strike,” said Dashleigh, encouragingly.