“Play him!” again urged the mysterious woman. “For my sake!” “With the understanding that I am to furnish the umpire——” began Merry. “It’s a go!” cried Cameron, in satisfaction. “With the team I shall put onto the field, it will be an easy matter to defeat you. There’ll be no need of anything but straight and legitimate baseball to do that.” “Very well,” said Merry. “We’ll play you, Mr. Cameron.” As Cameron departed the strange woman spoke excitedly to Frank. “You will win!” she declared. “I feel it! I know it! He is confident there is no need to resort to crooked methods to defeat you. He’ll try to get bets on the game. I hope he loses heavily. I’ll back you! I have money. You shall take it and cover his bets.” “I beg your pardon, miss,” protested Frank, “but I have certain scruples about betting. I may have made wagers in the past, but I am sure I shall never again do so, either with my own money or that of another.” “Let her bet on us, if she wants to,” urged Hodge warmly. “I, too, feel it in my bones that we’ll take a fall out of Cameron’s great aggregation. I know every fellow on the team will play as if for his very life.” Merry shook his head. “I can make no exceptions to the rule I have laid down for myself,” he said. “Even if Cameron is confident of success, and begins a square game, he may resort to treachery if he becomes alarmed before the finish. He’ll not intend to lose the opening game with his team. That would disgust the tough element that is backing him. He would lose prestige at once.” Frank was immovable on his point. The boys were greatly surprised when Merry informed them of the challenge and acceptance. “Py Shimminy!” cried Dunnerwurst. “Ve vill gif them der greatest run their money for that you efer saw. Id vill peen a satisfaction to dood them up. Yah!” Frank explained that they were to supply the umpire, which caused no small amount of satisfaction. “We are to move to the Mansion House, fellows,” he said. “We’ll impose on Miss Blake no longer.” “You have not imposed on me in the least,” assured the hostess. “If you defeat Cameron, I shall be more than repaid.” “But we are going to pay you good, cold cash for what we have received. That was the agreement.” She began to demur, but Frank insisted that she had made that a part of the agreement when she took them in, and at last she consented to accept payment. Having settled by compelling her to take twenty dollars, although she was unwilling to the very last to accept more than ten, the boys picked up and started off gayly for the hotel. “I toldt you vot,” said Hans, as they descended the hill, “I vos glat to got dot house oudt uf. No matteration vot you say, I vos postiveness I seen a ghost last nighdt indo. Id scooted me by like a streak of vind, und id gif me der shiverings all ofer your back. Dot blace been haunted.” Although they laughed at him, the Dutchman continued to insist that he had seen a ghost.