“Look here, Madison,” said Dick; “you’re in a position where you can see. I want you to watch this business.” “Oh, don’t insinuate!” retorted Madison. “Isn’t this your own umpire?” “Selected at your special request,” reminded Dick. “I don’t forget that!” “You play ball!” again commanded the umpire. “You’re delaying the game, and I shall call strikes on you.” Immediately Dick sent a straight speedy one over the plate, about waist high. The umpire was compelled to declare it a strike. Merriwell followed it by another in the same place. “Two strikes!” said the umpire, after a moment’s hesitation. “Strike him out, Merriwell!” shouted the cadets. Dick whistled the next ball straight over, just a little lower than the batter’s shoulders. The batter crouched and let it pass. “Four balls; take your base!” directed the umpire, and Gannon was forced home. “What do you think about that, Madison?” asked Dick. “It was high,” instantly asserted the captain of the visiting team, as he trotted up to third base. “We’re up against ten men, pard!” shouted Buckhart. The cadets on the bleachers expressed their feelings by groans and hisses for the umpire. “Dern his picter! he better be keerful!” squeaked Obediah Tubbs. “This is a putty bad place for him to try them tricks!” “That’s right!” sneered Madison, nodding toward the Fardale crowd. “Do your best to intimidate the umpire! That’s the way to play baseball! That’s a fine sort of a game!” Dick now decided to take all chances of being hit and use a straight ball. This he did with splendid control, sending it over the very heart of the plate. The disapprobation of the cadets had caused the umpire to look a trifle nervous, and he declared the first two balls pitched to be strikes, although Tipton let both pass. “Now, are you satisfied?” demanded Madison. “You have bulldozed the umpire so he is giving you everything.” Dick made no response, but whistled over another straight one. Tipton hit it, and the ball rose high into the air. Gardner ran back for it; while Darrell also seemed determined to get under it. “Gardner! Gardner!” called Dick sharply. “Take it, Earl!” The ball fell into Earl’s hands, while Hal crouched low close behind him. Earl muffed the ball. “Ah!” burst from the Franklin crowd. The ball fell into Darrell’s hands, and he held it. “Ah!” roared the Fardale crowd. Up in the grand stand Doris Templeton embraced June, giving her a hug of joy. “Hal did it!” she breathed. “That was splendid!” agreed June. “Oh, I don’t think it was such a wonderful thing!” declared Zona. “It just fell right into his hands, and he couldn’t help holding it.” Doris gave her a resentful look. Dick waited for Hal and walked in to the bench with him. CHAPTER XXIX. FARDALE’S FIRST RUN. “You saved us that time, old man,” smiled Merriwell, with his hand on Darrell’s arm. “That was clever backing up.”