The disappointment of the Franklin crowd was only exceeded by the delight of the cadets. Nort Madison attempted to dispute the umpire’s decision. He claimed that Jarley was safe, but those who had watched the plate closely knew this was not so. Wiley hugged himself. “Beyond question,” he murmured, “I shall have to get into gear and take to the diamond. This arouses me to the limit.” After two strikes and two balls were called, Dickson managed to catch one of Merriwell’s shoots and drop it over the infield. On this safe hit Tipton ran as if his life depended upon it, and the coacher near third sent him home. Darrell secured the ball and tried to stop the run at the plate, but was a moment too late to do so. “That clinches it!” laughed Madison. “We win a scalp to-day, boys!” “Oh, has Fardale lost the game, cap’n?” anxiously asked little Abe. “Not yet,” declared Wiley. “Strange things may happen before this game ends.” Westcott was the weakest hitter on the visiting team, and Dick had little trouble in striking him out. “Now, fellows,” said the Fardale captain, as his players gathered around him at the bench, “it’s up to us to cut loose. We haven’t made a run since the third inning.” “Here’s where we turn the trick, pard,” declared Buckhart. But again Fardale was unable to accomplish the feat. The best she could do was to get a man to second, where he “died.” The visitors danced in to the bench, cheered by their admirers. In the grand stand Doris and June were worrying over the probable outcome of the game. “I’m afraid they can’t win!” said Doris, almost in tears. “That horrid umpire defeated them at the first of the game!” “There are two more innings to play,” reminded June. “At least, Doris, you should be satisfied with the game Hal Darrell has put up to-day.” “Yes, indeed!” laughed Zona. “He has outdone himself. He can play almost as well as Chester.” Doris opened her lips to make some retort, but closed them at once. The eighth was fast and furious. Dustan smashed a whistling liner at Gardner, who muffed it, but caught it up in time to throw the runner out at first. Gibbs hit a twister into the air, and Bradley got under it. When the ball struck in Billy’s hands, it twisted out before he could close his fingers on it, and Gibbs reached first in safety. Gannon followed with a two-bagger to left field, but Gibbs was held on third by the coacher. “Now, what do you think?” shouted Nort Madison. “We think you’re the next victim!” growled big Bob Singleton, as Madison stepped out to strike. “You’ve got another think coming to you,” Nort confidently retorted. “This is my turn to get a hit.” Brad signaled for a drop, but Dick shook his head and continued to shake his head until the Texan asked for the combination ball. With this ball Merriwell made Madison swing twice ineffectively. Then Dick tried a rise. Madison let it pass, and it was pronounced a ball.