"None down, Bob. Sting it for all you're worth," shouted Tom. "Two balls!" droned the umpire, presently. "Strike one!" Then Bob Somers was seen to make a lunge. The ball rose in a long, graceful curve, shooting far beyond the point where John Appleby, right fielder, was playing. "I told you so!" cried Tom. Over on the "grand stand" Mr. Rupert Barry's face actually broke into a smile. "Fine work--a three-bagger, Professor Hopkins," he said. "Very good indeed!" exclaimed the president. "I should have been sorry to see such courageous boys fail." "Looks to me as if they could deliver the goods," piped "Uncle" Steve; which style of language so displeased Professor Ivins that he remained ominously silent. Bob raced in home when Brentall singled. "Extra, extra!" cried Benny. "Get the latest news! All about the Rockville nine going to pieces!" With Victor Collins and Joe Rodgers, he headed a little procession around the field, with the object, he candidly confessed, of rattling the visitors as much as possible. The next batter, Alf Boggs, was thrown out at first. Tom Clifton's hopes that a half dozen runs would cross the plate before the inning was over were shattered by the downfall of "Jack Frost" and Art Bowers. In the eighth the high school team, by a tremendous effort, scored another run, and the Rockville boys then walked to the players' bench for their final turn at the bat. But their heroic efforts were without avail. When the last putout, a difficult running catch by Dave Brandon, signalized the end of the contest the score stood three to one in favor of the high school. The yells, cat-calls and general noise made the audience in the "grand stand" hastily withdraw. The staunch Somers party fairly howled with glee, and even "Crackers" Brown was heard to say: "Not so bad--but----" "But what, Buttermilk?" inquired Benny. "If the 'Hopes' had been up against that crowd I'll bet the score would have been about seventeen pies to one small doughnut." "You've got a better team than the regulars any day," said Benny, with a tremendous grin. "Extra--extra! Full account of the latest boasting by the Brown crowd. Get a high school 'Reflector'! Five cents. Tells how the Ramblers beat Gulliver at his own game!" A joyous group collected around the regulars. They slapped Bob Somers on the back, ill-treated their tired lungs once again; and all this failing to give sufficient vent to their enthusiasm, they waved purple and white pennants until their aching arms finally rebelled. CHAPTER XXIV THE "HOPES" ARE BLASTED Several weeks later the baseball season was in full blast. The "Rambler Club's ball nine" didn't always win in the inter-scholastic series; but they had so many victories to their credit that further opposition to their representing the school was never heard.