week before the deciding game was to come off Heffiner's arm
improved more rapidly than it had at any time before, and scores of men
urged Pierson to put Old Reliable, as Hugh was sometimes called, into
the box.

A big crowd went up to Springfield on the day of the great game, but the
"sons of Old Eli" were far from confident, although they were determined
to root for their team to the last gasp.

The most disquieting rumors had been afloat concerning Harvard. It was
said her team was in a third better condition than at the opening of the
season, when she took the first game from Yale; and it could not be
claimed with honesty that the Yale team was apparently in any better
shape. Although she had won the second game of the series with Harvard,
her progress had not been satisfactory.

A monster crowd had gathered to witness the deciding game. Blue and
crimson were the prevailing colors. On the bleachers at one side of the
grandstand sat hundreds upon hundreds of Harvard men, cheering all
together and being answered by the hundreds of Yale men on the other
side of the grand stand. There were plenty of ladies and citizens
present and the scene was inspiring. A band of music served to quicken
the blood in the veins which were already throbbing.

There was short preliminary practice, and then at exactly three o'clock
the umpire walked down behind the home plate and called: "Play ball!"

CHAPTER XXXIV.

A HOT FINISH.

Yale took the field, and as the boys in blue trotted out, the familiar
Yale yell broke from hundreds of throats. Blue pennants were wildly
fluttering, the band was playing a lively air, and for the moment it
seemed as if the sympathy of the majority of the spectators was with
Yale.

But when Hinkley, Harvard's great single hitter, who always headed the
batting list, walked out with his pet "wagon tongue," a different sound
swept over the multitude, and the air seemed filled with crimson
pennants.

Merriwell went into the box, and the umpire broke open a pasteboard box,
brought out a ball that was wrapped in tin foil, removed the covering,
and tossed the snowy sphere to the freshman pitcher Yale had so
audaciously stacked up against Harvard.

Frank looked the box over, examined the rubber plate, and seemed to make
himself familiar with every inch of the ground in his vicinity. Then he
faced Hinkley, and a moment later delivered the first ball.

Hinkley smashed it on the nose, and it was past