"Knock the cover off it, Rigby! Make a homer!" After two strikes, one of them a foul, Rigby managed to get a safe hit to first. But then Jack tightened up and presently the side was retired without a run. "That's the stuff! Hold 'em to goose eggs all the way through!" "Now, then, Colby, go to it and make a couple!" But alas for this hope! One player got as far as third, but there the inning ended. Goose eggs also went up for both sides in the second, third and fourth innings. Then two players of Hixley High managed to make singles, and on a fumble by one of the new men playing for Colby one of these hits was turned into a run. "Hurrah! Hurrah! That's the stuff! Score one for Hixley!" "Hold 'em down! Hold 'em down! Don't let 'em score again!" came from the Colby Hall supporters. And the players from the military school did "hold 'em down" to the single tally which had been made. With the score 1 to 0, the game ran along to the eighth inning. Then Dan Soppinger managed to knock out a two-bagger, and he was followed at the plate by Randy. Two men were already out, so it was a crucial moment in more ways than one. Dink Wilsey was still in good form, although the strain was evidently telling upon him. He sent in two swift balls, which were called strikes, one being a foul. Then came two wide ones, which were put down as balls by the umpire. "Hit it, Randy!" sang out Gif. "Paste it for all you know how!" Randy was on the alert, and although the next ball pitched was a bit low, he swung for it, sending it down toward right field. "Run, Dan! Run!" "Leg it, Randy!" And both players did run for all they were worth. Dan had started as Randy swung for the sphere, and consequently touched third a few seconds later. Then, as he saw the ball was still down in right field with the fielder chasing madly after it, he came in to the home plate. Randy had meanwhile reached first and was halfway to second, which he reached safely by sliding. "Hurrah! One run for Colby Hall!" "And Randy Rover made it a two-bagger!" "Some playing, I'll say!" The excitement was now intense as Colby Hall saw a chance to win. But this chance went glimmering a few seconds later when a pop-fly was gathered in with ease by the Hixley pitcher. "Never mind, we've tied the score, and that's something," said Gif. "Now all we need do is to hold them down and make one more run." In the ninth inning Hixley High fought desperately to score, and Colby Hall did the same. But neither side got further than first. "A tie game! A tie game!" was the cry. "Now, then, it takes only one run to win!" The excitement was now at a fever heat, and this continued through the tenth and eleventh innings. By this time it was growing dark, so that the fielders had difficulty in seeing the ball. "I think we had better call it a tie and let it go at that," said the Hixley captain to Gif. "What do you think about it?"