Having seen this throw to second, Kennedy started off third once more and raced toward the home plate. Tubbs sent the ball back to Hoboson, who covered the plate. It came straight into the hands of the tramp, and Kennedy stopped on the line, seeing he could not reach the home plate without being tagged. He turned and ran back toward third, expecting Hoboson would throw the ball. Instead of throwing to Bradley, the tramp ran after Kennedy with the ball in his hand. Seeing Hoboson contemplated trying to run him down, Kennedy let himself out and did his best to get back to third. At every jump the tramp gained on the base runner, and just as Kennedy made his last leap to reach the bag the hobo struck him between the shoulder blades with the ball, using such force that the Rockford pitcher was hurled past third and sent sprawling on the ground four feet beyond the bag. “Out!” shouted the umpire once more, but his decision was drowned by the wild roar from the delighted islanders. Brick McLane furiously waved his hat in the air and whooped at the top of his stentorian voice. Laughing with satisfaction, Dick ran up to Hoboson and patted him on the shoulder. “Well, you’re certainly a sprinter, old boy,” said Merriwell. “T’anks,” returned the tramp. “You’re jest beginning to git onto me style. I tol’ yer I was an all-round wizard, but you didn’t believe me. Now, mebbe you’ll try that combination when I call for it.” “The very next time,” promised Dick. The opportunity came very soon, for with two strikes and two balls called on Jenners, Hoboson signaled for Dick to use his most effective curve. Merriwell sent in his combination, but did not get it over the plate. Plunk!—the ball landed in the tramp’s mitt and stuck there. “Jest as e—easy!” he chuckled. Again he called for this ball and again Dick used it. This time Jenners struck and missed, and once more the ball plunked into the catcher’s mit and remained there. Three Rockfordites were out. “Well, I guess he can catch!” whooped McLane. “He’s not a beaut, but he fills the bill!” “Who in tut-tut-thunder is this fellow?” chattered Jolliby, as he reached the bench. “He’s all right, Dick. I don’t believe Rockford could have scored if we’d had him in the fuf-fuf-fuf-first place.” No one was more delighted than Dick at the work of the tramp catcher. He now sought to talk with Hoboson, but to his surprise the tramp seemed strangely shy and silent. Whenever Dick approached him the mysterious catcher edged off and evinced a disinclination to talk. From that time to the finish of the game every witness was kept keyed to the highest pitch of excitement. Hoboson demonstrated that he was a batter and base runner as well as a wonderful catcher. Still Kennedy managed to keep the islanders down until the sixth inning. In the sixth Hoboson singled to right field. A few moments later, on Dick’s hit, Hoboson went racing over third with the speed of an express train and kept on to the plate.