“I have confidence in you,” she declared. “That is why I made that wager. I have had confidence in you from the moment when I first set eyes on you. Something tells me you are the sort of a man who triumphs. You will win—you must!” “It would be a great misfortune for me to lose,” confessed Frank; “but you will be forced to bear uncertainty until the very end of the game, as we dare not take the lead too soon.” Once more declaring her confidence in him, and seeming not to mind the cries of the crowd, she retired from the diamond and the game began. Following was the line-up of each team: CARTERSVILLE. MERRIES. Grady, cf. Ready, 3d b. Moran, ss. Morgan, ss. Johnson, 1st b. Badger, lf. Madison, rf. Hodge, c. Tonando, 3d b. Merriwell, p. Gibson, lf. Gamp, cf. Hickey, 2d b. Browning, 1st b. Collins, c. Rattleton, 2d b. Weaver, p. Dunnerwurst, rf. A yell of delight went up from the crowd as Grady met the first ball pitched and drove out a scorching single. “We’re off! we’re off!” whooped Gibson, as he capered down to the coaching line back of first. “Keep it going, Moran!” Moran responded by bunting and attempting to “beat it out.” On the bunt Grady reached second, but Frank got the ball and threw Moran out at first. “All right, chillun!” grinned Johnson, the colored player, as he ran out to hit. “Why, we’s gwine to make a hundred right heah.” Frank gave him a swift inshoot. “G’way dar, ma-a-an!” shouted Johnson. “Yo’ll sho’ hurt yo’ wing if yo’ tries to keep dat speed up.” “One ball,” announced Starbright. “Dat’s right, Mistah Umpiah,” commented the negro. “Make him git ’em ober de pan. If he do, I’s gwine to slam it right ober de fence.” The next one was too far out. “Two balls.” “Come on, ma-a-an,” urged Johnson. “Yo’ll nebber fool dis chicken dat way.” Merry tried a high ball, using lots of speed. The batter hit it fairly and laced it on a line far into the field. “Yah! yah! yah!” he whooped, as he scooted for first. “Dat pitcher was made fo’ me.” Sitting on the bench, Carey Cameron saw Grady come home on the hit, while Johnson reached third base. “This is going to be too easy,” said Cameron, to one of the substitutes. “It won’t do to run the score up too high and not give those poor dubs a show, for it will disgust the crowd and hurt baseball here for the rest of the season. I’ll have to hold the boys down the moment they get the game well in hand.” The crowd began to ridicule Frank. “Is that the great pitcher we’ve heard about?” “He’s a fake!” “That’s not the genuine Frank Merriwell!” “Take him out!” “Knock him out of the box!” “Put him in the stable!” Mat Madison was the next batter. The big bruiser made an insulting remark to Frank as he took his position at the plate.