The man on third held the bag and watched Joe Costigan get under the ball. Costigan did get under it, waited for it and dropped it! Then the man on third came scudding home, while the others moved up a bag each, and again the bases were full. “That is what comes of playing a man out of position,” thought Frank. “Costigan is a fine third baseman, but he is no fielder.” But he did not say a word aloud. Haggerty did his level best, and succeeded in striking out the next man. The Yale rooters cheered feebly. The next batter put up a long fly, which Cal Jeffers captured after a hard run, and the first half ended with Princeton “three to the good.” CHAPTER XXIV. FRANK IN THE BOX. “That is easy,” said Charlie Creighton, hopefully. “Our boys will tie that without a struggle.” But he was mistaken. Nat Finch, the Princeton wonder, did not do a thing but strike out three men in succession, while the great crowd roared its delight. “That settles it!” said Pooler. “Those are three top-enders, the best batters on the team. If he can make monkeys of them like that, what will he do with the weak batters?” The rooters were silent. They were discouraged. Not a few of them wished themselves back to New Haven. Frank was the only one who seemed calm and unruffled. Bart Hodge was pale. “That fellow Finch is a wizard, Merry!” he huskily exclaimed. “I don’t believe anybody else can fool Cal Jeffers like that. Why, Jeffers is a hitter!” “That’s right,” nodded Frank, quietly. “But there is a question.” “Eh? What sort of a question?” “Can Finch hold this up?” “He has a reputation.” “I don’t care. I’ll go you something that he slumps before the game is over. He is a strike-out pitcher. He likes to do that trick, as it attracts attention to him. That is what will count against him.” “We don’t have one show in a thousand unless you peel off and get into the game.” “That is foolishness.” “Not a bit of it. He has taken the wind out of the fellows.” Frank sent Haggerty into the box again. The little fellow dreaded what was before him, but he went out resolved to do his best. The first man up got a hit, while the next man got first on balls. Then the two tried a double steal, but Hodge shut the fellow off at third with an easy throw, and Walling came near making it a double by a snap throw to second. Then another man got a hit, which left a man on first and third, the one on second only getting one base on the hit, as he stumbled and fell when he ran. “A hit means a score!” roared a voice from the midst of the Princeton rooters. “It may mean two scores,” cried another voice. “Murphy will steal second on the first ball pitched.” Hodge called Haggerty up, and they whispered together, while the Princeton crowd guyed them. Haggerty sent in a high ball on his next pitch, and Murphy, who was on first, shot toward second.