We’ve seen them come and seen them go, For twenty years or more; They never yet have beat us, When they came to add the score. They have tried to steal our signals They have worked till they were sore, So let the game go on. _Chorus_ For Lowell’s got the pitchers, And we’ve got a back stop true The infield is a bunch of stars The outfield’s nifty too, They’re all .300 hitters, And you’ll meet your Waterloo, So let the game go on. _Chorus_ Presently the chosen umpires, Sel. O. Lafflin of American College and Robert M. S. Lee, of National University, came onto the field. They consulted with Hughie and Church, agreed upon the ground rules, and presently Lafflin, who was to umpire behind the bat, stepped to the plate and then turning to the stands said: “Ladies and Gentlemen: The batt’ries for to-day’s game are--For Lowell, Black, pitcher and Gibbs, catcher. For Jefferson--Mellen, pitcher and Brest, catcher; Black and Gibbs for Lowell; Mellen and Brest for Jefferson. Play ball.” [Illustration: “Ladies and gentlemen! The batteries for to-day are----”] Quickly the Jefferson players arose from the bench and trotted out onto the field. The Lowell boys on their bench stirred nervously, eager to get into the fray. Everson carefully selected his favorite bat from the row of them which was on the ground before the bench and stepped to the plate. There wasn’t a sound to be heard on the grounds or in the stands. Everywhere was silence. Mellen stood there in the pitcher’s box, the new white ball in his right hand, eying Everson with intense scrutiny, trying to solve what his greatest batting weakness might be. Everson looked back at Mellen, waiting, perhaps a little nervous but with a look of determination on his face. He stood at the rubber, his feet slightly apart, his bat firmly grasped, his head to one side as if listening, but his eye on the white round thing in Mellen’s hand, and he never took his eye off that ball. The game was about to begin. The first ball pitched might decide the game. His turn at bat if successful might win it, his failure to do just what Hughie had instructed him to do might lose the game. Mellen began to wind up. He pulled back his right arm, twisted himself, looking back of him; he turned back again facing the batter; he brought forward that strong right arm of his, the ball started toward the plate, a white streak. The game had begun. CHAPTER XX THE FIRST GAME LOWELL JEFFERSON Everson, 2b Laird, 3b Larke, lf Beach, cf Talkington, cf Church, 1b Robb, rf Hollins, ss Hagner, ss La Joy, 2b Case, 1b Warcford, lf Delvin, 3b Twitchell, rf Gibbs, c Brest, c Black, p Mellen, p