“What’s got into you?” he cried. “What are you trying to do? Where are you going?” Brad made no answer, but endeavored to pass Earl and continue toward third. By this time Dick Merriwell had reached the spot, and he seized Brad by the arm, turning him around. “The other way, you crazy loon!” he exclaimed. “First base is on the other side!” Realizing his blunder at last, Brad started across the diamond toward first. “Get into the base line!” cried Dick. Buckhart did not seem to hear this, for he continued toward first, without attempting to follow the base line. Spangler had secured the ball at last, and he threw it to Stowe, who promptly lined it over to Bill Swarton. By the time the ball reached Swarton’s hands, Buckhart was on first. Swarton touched him with the ball and then called for the umpire to declare him out. “Why, dern your picter!” cried Obediah Tubbs, “he’s on the base! He can’t be out!” “He’s out according to the rule covering base running to first,” declared Swarton. “What is that rule?” asked the umpire. “It says a base runner is out if he runs more than three feet outside the line in the last half of the distance to first base, unless he does so to avoid a fielder attempting to field a batted ball,” declared Swarton. “That’s correct!” nodded the umpire. “He was more than three feet outside the line! The man is out!” At this some of the Fairhaven players raised a protest, but they were immediately silenced by Merriwell. “Swarton is right about the rule,” admitted Dick. “The decision is just.” “Well, of all hard lul-lul-lul-luck that’s the worst!” groaned Chip Jolliby. “It was a cuc-cuc-cuc-cuc-clean base hit. What in bub-bub-blazes is the mum-mum-mum-matter with Buckhart? He must be cuc-cuc-crazy!” Brad seemed at last to realize what he had done. He walked in toward the Fairhaven bench, shaking his head and looking disgusted. He was still very pale. “Pard,” he said, in a low tone, as Dick hurried to him. “I sure am locoed. Things are a whole lot twisted. Never did such a fool thing before in my life. What do you suppose is the matter with me?” “I don’t know,” confessed Dick; “but you cut us out of three runs, at least. If you can’t brace up and come out of this trance, we’re beaten at the very start.” “I will brace up, pard—I will brace up!” savagely declared Brad. “Just watch me now!” ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER VII THE TRAMP STEPS IN. The Texan went behind the bat, determined to arouse himself and do his level best. But Dick had lost confidence in Brad, and others on the team were worried, realizing that something was wrong. It is strange how the playing of one man on a team often affects the whole team, either for good or for bad. In this case Buckhart’s blunder seemed to unman his companions.