"No game to-day unless we play it!" came from Brown. Bob Somers leaped on the soap box from which the chief "outlaw" had just arisen. "I call upon every fellow who believes in fair play to listen," he cried in ringing tones. "We haven't been given a square deal. Every player on this nine is going to stand up for his rights. Threats and yells won't make us quit. I only ask you to be reasonable; to----" The soap box was shoved violently from beneath his feet, and the captain, obliged to jump, brought up violently against a group of yelling "outlaws." [Illustration: THE SOAP BOX WAS SHOVED VIOLENTLY] Turning like a flash, he looked squarely into the angry face of Owen Lawrence. The lieutenant of "Crackers" Brown, so wrought up with excitement that his face was of a purple hue, was brandishing his fists savagely. "I did it, Somers!" he yelled. "Pitch right in if you want to. I'm ready!" In a second the two were surrounded by a densely-packed mob, while cries of "A scrap--a scrap!" had the effect of bringing from all sides large reinforcements. "We're not going to lose those grounds just to suit your bump of vanity, Somers," howled Lawrence. A big boy, ruthlessly thrusting aside all who impeded his progress, quickly jumped between the two. "Cut it out, Owen Lawrence!" cried Earl Roycroft, sternly. He pushed the belligerent student away. "If you don't look out you'll start such a muss that there'll be no stopping it." "Then they'll have to chase right off the field!" cried Dan Brown, in a voice which no one would have recognized as his. "Are you going, Somers?" The chief "outlaw's" words promptly undid the effect of Roycroft's action. Surrounded by his opponents, the captain of the regulars speedily found himself being pushed and jostled off the diamond. At the same instant a combined rush was made for the other members of the team. Almost swept from their feet by the fierceness of the attack, they struggled valiantly to stem the tide. Above all the frantic shouts and cries, "Crackers" Brown was heard to yell: "Keep the bases covered, boys! Don't budge from the field!" "You bet we won't!" shouted Aleck Parks. "Whoop! Shove the Ramblers right along, fellows!" The fellows were doing it. "In the hands of the enemy" the players were as helpless as chips upon a seething torrent of water. They quickly lost sight of one another, each compelled to fight his battle alone, for the bodyguard which at first had so valiantly attempted to aid them was already widely scattered. Bob Somers, thoroughly surprised and indignant, appealed vainly for order. Then, feeling that resistance was useless and ill-advised, he allowed the irresistible tide of boys to sweep him where they willed. "Now, I wonder if you'll listen to the school!" cried Luke Phelps, giving an extra hard shove. "I only hope the 'Ancient Mariner' is seeing this. What's your awful haste, Somers?"