The home team chose to take the field first, and Ready was sent to the bat.
As they sat on the bench Dick Merriwell observed a fellow on the bench of the home players, and a second look showed the boy that it was his antagonist of the day before, Squinty Jim. He was talking to a stocky-looking chap in the uniform of the Athletics, the latter seeming to be a spare man on the team, and Dick noticed that they were looking across toward the bench of the visitors.
At once the boy was struck by the belief that they were talking about him. He had heard that the young bully had a brother who played with the Athletics, but the name of McCann was not on the batting-order.
The umpire’s command to play ball drew the lad’s attention from the pair on the opposite bench, and he fell to watching Ready.
Jack was a confident chap, and a good fellow to head the batting-order, although not a hard hitter. His eye was good, and he seldom went after bad ones, which made it possible for him to get first on balls more than any other man on the team.
To-day, however, Jack was soon to find that he could not work Nesbitt for a pass to first. The Athletic pitcher was satisfied that the youthful players against him would be dazed by his speed, and so he began by “burning ’em over.”
Two strikes were called on Jack in short order, and he had not swung for either of them.
Frank signed for Jack to hit it out.
Nesbitt was laughing, and several of the players behind him assured him that the “kids” could not see the ball.
The third ball came with fearful speed.