as if I was being raised off my feet," remarked May Powell.
The game began with Hixley High at the bat. There was a wild cheering for Rigby, the center-fielder, when he came up, stick in hand, and also yells of encouragement for Jack.
"Put him out in one-two-three order, Jack!"
"Don't let him get a smell at first!"
"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?"
There was a brief consultation, and several of the regular school coaches were called in. In the meanwhile it grew darker rapidly, and presently the contest was called off.
"It's too bad we couldn't finish it," remarked Jack, as he shook hands with Dink Wilsey.
"We'll have to finish it next year," said the rival pitcher, with a grin.
There was a good deal of talk about the contest, but gradually the crowd dispersed, and many of the Colby boys started for the Hall. The Rovers and some of their chums rejoined the girls, and walked with them to the automobiles which were to take Martha and Mary and the others back to Clearwater Hall.
"I'm so sorry you fellows didn't win that game," pouted May Powell, on the way.
"Well, we did our best," answered Fred. "And believe me, it's something to hold down a school like Hixley with such a pitcher as Dink Wilsey."
"You don't mean to say he can pitch any better than Jack!" put in Ruth quickly.
"Oh, I'm not saying anything against Jack," answered Fred. "Just the same, Dink's a great pitcher, and Jack will say so himself."
"He certainly is," was the reply from the oldest Rover boy. "He'll be on one of the professional teams one of these days. If Longley Academy has any such pitcher in Tommy Flanders, we've got our work cut out for us."
Most of the boys and girls went on to where the automobiles were in waiting, but Jack kept to the rear until the whole crowd were out of hearing.
"Now, then, Ruth, tell me what is troubling you," he said in a low voice.
"Oh, Jack, I don't believe I ought to tell you! I should have torn it up and forgotten all about it," returned the girl.
"Torn it up? What do you mean? Was it a letter?"
"Yes, a letter that came yesterday. It is nothing but a scrawl, and it's unsigned. It was sent from New York."
"What did the letter say? Did somebody threaten you, Ruth?"
"No, Jack. Somebody threatened you. If it hadn't been for that, I wouldn't think of bothering you about it."
"Humph! this is interesting. Have you got the letter with you?"
"Yes. Here it is," and the girl brought forth the letter from her handbag. As she had said, it was postmarked New York City, and was addressed to her at the school. The envelope was a plain one, and inside was a single sheet of plain white paper. On this, evidently in a disguised hand, had been scrawled the following:
Ruth Stevenson: If you know when you are well off you won't have much to do with Jack Rover or his cousins. They are a bum lot and some day you will be ashamed of every one of them. Jack Rover never treated anybody square, and some day you can take it from me that I intend to pound his handsome face into a jelly. Better listen to my warning, or you will be very sorry you had anything to do with that crowd.
"A Friend."
CHAPTER VII
NEWS FROM ABROAD
"That's a fine letter, I must say!" remarked Jack, after perusing the scrawl a second time. "Evidently the writer loves me a whole lot."
"Of course it must have come from one of those fellows who used to go to school with you," said Ruth. "Perhaps that Martell boy or that Brown boy."
"I don't think Nappy Martell would dare send such a letter," answered the young captain of the cadets. "It would be more
