while he was
doing it. The third man sent an easy pop-fly to Blossom, who got hold of
it and clung to it for dear life.

Then the runner got second on a passed ball, but he advanced no farther,
for the following batter rolled a weak one down to Frank, who gathered
it in and threw the man out at first.

In three innings not a safe hit had been made off Merriwell, and he had
struck out five men. No wonder his admirers cheered him wildly as he
went to the bench.

Yale started in to make some scores. The very first man up got a hit and
stole second. The next man went to the bat with the determination to
slug the ball, but Old Put signaled for a sacrifice, as the man was a
good bunt hitter.

The sacrifice was tried, and it worked, for the man on second got third,
although the batter was thrown out at first.

"Now we need a hit!" cried Put. "It takes one to tie and two to win. A
hit ties the game."

Rattleton offered to bet Harris two to one that Yale would win, but
Sport declined the offer.

"It's our game fast enough," he said. "You are welcome to what you have
won off me. I am satisfied."

But the game was not won. Amid the most intense excitement the next man
fouled out.

Then Peck seemed to gather himself to save the game for Harvard. He got
some queer quirks into his delivery, and, almost before the Yale crowd
could realize it, two strikes were called on the batter.

The Yale rooters tried to rattle Peck, but they succeeded in rattling
the batter instead, and, to their unutterable dismay and horror, he
fanned at a third one, missed it, and--

"Batter is out!" cried the umpire.

Then a great roar for Harvard went up, and the dazed freshmen from New
Haven realized they were defeated after all.

CHAPTER XXX.

RATTLETON IS EXCITED.

"It wasn't Merriwell's fault that the freshies didn't win," said Bob
Collingwood to Paul Pierson as they were riding back to New Haven on the
train that night.

"Not a bit of it," agreed Pierson. "I was expecting a great deal of
Merriwell, but I believe he is a better man than I thought he could be."

"Then you have arrived at the conclusion that he is fast enough for the
regular team?"

"I rather think he is."

"Will you give him a trial?"

"We may. It is a bad thing for any freshman to get an exalted opinion of
himself and his abilities, for it is likely to spoil him. I don't want
to spoil Merriwell--"

"Look here," interrupted Collingwood, impulsively. "I