“It’s about the dirtiest ball playing I ever witnessed,” said Bart. “I have seen a few tricks in my day, but they are coming thick and fast here.” Connor followed up the successes attained by the men ahead of him by dropping a little fly just over the infield, and this filled the bases. Bold now settled down to do his best, but whenever he threw a drop there was a snapping sensation in his shoulder and his entire arm received a twinge of pain. This prevented him from using his most effective ball, and in the end Halligan smashed a line drive far into the field, scoring three men and reaching second base himself. “I am afraid the game is lost in the very first inning,” muttered Hodge regretfully. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER XV McLANE AND HIS PEACEMAKERS. The summer visitors present were fairly disgusted by the rowdyism of the tough gang. In vain they protested. They were mocked and derided and invited to “go chase themselves.” At last, unable to stand it longer, ladies began to leave the field in large numbers, accompanied by many of the gentlemen. “Is there anything like law and order in this town?” exclaimed Henry Duncan. “Are there no officers to stop such disgraceful conduct and arrest these ruffians?” “Arrest nothing!” sneered one of the young toughs. “I’d like to see any officer try to pinch one of this gang! He’d get his head busted. You’d better take a sneak, mister, before something falls on you.” “It certainly is a shame,” nodded William Drake. “Those Fairhaven lads will be given no show at all. Already the umpire is frightened, for he knows he’ll be mobbed unless he gives everything to Hammerswell’s team.” The departure of the summer visitors from the field left Dick and his friends almost wholly without sympathizers and supporters. Bart Hodge stood near the Fairhaven bench, watching and listening, a heavy cloud on his face and slumbering fire in his eyes. “I’d like to have Frank’s Terrible Thirty here for about ten minutes,” he thought. “I reckon they’d clean out this mob in less time than that. This isn’t sport; it’s robbery.” Henry Duncan touched him on the shoulder. “It’s no use,” he said, soberly shaking his head. “The boys haven’t a chance under such conditions. I should advise you to urge Dick to take his team off the field. Of course the umpire will be bulldozed into forfeiting the game to Maplewood, but Dick can quit under protest, and I believe the game will be thrown out and not counted in the series.” It was Bart’s turn to shake his head. “I don’t believe Dick can be induced to leave the field,” he said. “He knew well enough what he was going against to-day, and he’ll fight it out to the finish. He has too much spirit to be a quitter.” “That won’t be quitting,” declared Duncan. “It would be a simple demand for fair play and justice.” “Still I’m certain Dick wouldn’t hear to it.”