followed by the tooting of horns and the
sounding of rattles, making a din that was almost ear-splitting.

The occasion was the annual baseball game between Hixley High and
Colby Hall. It had been scheduled to take place on the high-school
athletic field, but at almost the last minute this field had been
declared out of condition, and it had been decided to hold the contest
on the athletic grounds attached to the military academy.

Hixley High was very anxious to win this game. During the previous
fall, as related in a former volume of this series, the high-school
lads had lost the annual football game with Colby Hall by a single
touchdown. This defeat still rankled in their minds, and they were
determined if possible to take the baseball game by a score that
should be well worth while.

And they had good reason to be hopeful of doing this. While their
football team had always been considered by the other teams of that
locality to be of the "second string variety," the baseball nine was a
remarkably strong organization. At its head was Dink Wilsey, a pitcher
who was destined at some time in the future to show himself in one of
the big leagues.

"Why, Dink alone can walk off with that game," was the way more than
one Hixley High student had expressed himself.

But more than this--Hixley High had an exceptionally good first
baseman and a trio of outfielders whose batting average was high.

"We're going to put it all over Colby Hall this trip," was the way the
manager of the Hixley High ball club declared himself on the day
previous to the match.

The game was now at the second half of the sixth inning, and the score
stood, Hixley High, 4; Colby Hall, 2. Colby Hall was at the bat with
two men out and one man at second.

It was therefore no wonder that the military academy students became
anxious when Jack Rover took up his bat and walked to the plate. A
home run would mean the tying of the score, and with a chance to do
even better.

"Take your time, Jack," said Gif Garrison, who was the manager of the
nine. "Make him give you a ball just where you want it."

"Watch yourself!" yelled one of the coaches to the runner at second,
for the Hixley High pitcher had suddenly whirled around, sending the
ball down to the second baseman. There was a quick drop by the runner,
and he escaped getting caught by a few inches only.

"Close shave! Watch yourself, Dan!" yelled Gif Garrison; and Dan
Soppinger, at second, nodded