“We must go after it now,” he said. “There must be no tie. We must win it in this inning—or lose it. You’re the first batter, Bart.” Hodge was grim and determined as he walked to the plate. He let the first ball pass, but hit the second and lined it out. Hickey made a jump to one side, struck out his glove and caught the ball. It was a handsome catch of what had looked like a safe two-bagger. Bart’s head dropped a moment as he turned back toward the bench, but it came up at once, and he spoke to Frank, making himself heard above the uproar, for the crowd was yelling like madmen: “You can do it just the same, Frank. That was a case of horseshoes.” Merry did not try for a long hit. One run would do no good. He attempted to place a safe single, and drove a liner into an opening in right field. Gamp followed, but the hopes of the visitors sank when Joe fanned out in the most dismal manner. The only chance now seemed for Browning to make a long, safe hit, and the big fellow tried for it. Instead of hitting as he expected, he sent a slow one rolling toward Moran. Never in all his life did Bruce cover ground as he did then. Those who fancied him to be a huge, heavy, lazy fellow now saw him fairly fly over the ground, and he reached first a good stride ahead of the ball. “Safe!” declared Starbright. Sitting on the bench, Hodge groaned as he saw Rattleton, pale and unsteady, step out to strike. “It’s all off!” Bart muttered. “Harry can’t hit that pitching!” Weaver flashed over a speedy one. Harry did not move. “One strike!” declared Starbright, his honesty compelling him to declare it. Weaver sent in another one. Rattleton swung. Crack! Bart Hodge leaped into the air with a yell of astonishment and joy. It was the hit of Rattleton’s whole career in baseball. Clean over the most distant portion of centre-field fence sailed the ball, disappearing from view. A second yell escaped Bart’s lips, and he began “throwing cartwheels,” while Merriwell, Browning, and Rattleton capered round the bases and came home. The spectators seemed dazed. No one, however, was more dazed than Carey Cameron. He did not move from the bench. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER XVIII IN THE CLUB CONSERVATORY. Their experience with the sporting element of Cartersville had been so unpleasant that Frank and his friends had no desire to remain longer in the town. Greatly to their surprise they were not molested in any way by the friends of Carey Cameron, who seemed to have received a knockout blow, and the Merries left the town by the first train for the East.