They stopped at the Athletic Club-house on their way, and all the nine shook hands with Bingo and asked after Tom; but his cup of joy was quite full when Blake, the Captain, told him to come with them and sit on the 'varsity bench.
Dave Hunter and the other Princeton boys looked enviously from the bleachers upon the honored guest, who sat squeezed in between Jack McMasters and Dr. Bovaird, his eyes glued to the diamond and his heart thumping against his ribs.
Princeton came to the bat first, and Williams led off with a clean single to left, and Shaw followed by another to centre.
It was a surprise that took every one's breath away, but they recovered it in time to cheer.
Yale was too easy! They would pound her out of the box, even without the aid of Tom's two and three baggers!
But Jackson flied out to second. Blake, who pitched, but couldn't hit a drop, went out on strikes; and though Williams stole third and Field got his first on balls, their innings closed with a beautiful spectacular catch by Woodward in centre field.
Then Yale came to the bat, and her little handful of "rooters" made the air shiver with their wild barbaric cheer: "Brek-ek-ek-ex! Ko-ax, ko-ax. Brek-ek-ek-ex! Ko-ax, ko-ax. Oh-op, oh-op. Parabalou—Yale!"
In a moment there came a crack of the bat.
"Run it out! run it out!" cried the Yale coach.
Bingo held his breath. It was a hot grounder to second, and Tom wasn't there. Woods fumbled it, and the first error was scored for Princeton.