Frank took all the lead he could secure, going up with the shortstop every time the second baseman played off to fill the right field gap.  He was so lively on his feet that he could go back ahead of the baseman every time, and Coulter gave up trying to catch him after two attempts.

Frank took all the ground he could, and seeing the next ball was an outdrop he legged it for third.

“Slide! slide! slide!” howled the astonished Halliday, who was still on the coach line at third.

Frank obeyed, and he went over the ground as if he had been greased for the occasion.  He made the steal with safety, having a second to spare.

Rattleton lost his breath yelling, and the entire Yale crowd howled as one man.  The excitement was at fever pitch.

Bob Collingwood was gasping for breath, and he caught hold of Paul Pierson, shouting in his ear: 

“What do you think of that?”

“Think of it?” returned Pierson.  “It was a reckless piece of work, and Merriwell would have got fits if he’d failed.”

“But he didn’t fail.”

“No; that lets him out.  He is working to rattle Coulter, but he took desperate chances.  I don’t know but it’s the only way to win this game.”

“Of course it is.”

“Merriwell is a wonderful runner.  I found that out last fall, when I made up as Professor Grant and attempted to relieve him of a turkey he had captured somewhere out in the country.  I blocked his road at the start, but he slugged me with the turk and then skipped.  I got after him, and you know I can run some.  Thought I was going to run him down easily or make him drop the bird; but I didn’t do either and he got away.  Oh, he is a sprinter, and it is plain he knows how to steal bases.  I believe he is the best base runner on the freshman team, if he is not too reckless.”

“He is a dandy!” exclaimed Collingwood.  “I have thought the fellow was given too much credit, but I’ve changed my mind.  Pierson, I believe he is swift enough for the regular team.  What do you think of it?”

“I want to see more of his work before I express myself.”

Merriwell’s steal had indeed rattled Coulter, who became so nervous that he sent the batter down to first on four balls.

Then, with the first ball delivered to the next man up, the fellow on first struck out for second.

Merriwell was playing off third, and pretended to make a break for home as the catcher made a short throw to the shortstop, who ran in behind Coulter, took the ball and lined it back to the plate.

But Frank had whirled about and returned to third, so the play was wasted, and the runner reached second safely.

Then there was more Yale enthusiasm, and Coulter was so broken up that he gave little Danny Griswold a shoulder ball right over the heart of the plate.

Griswold “ate” high balls, as the Harvard pitcher very well knew.  He did not fail to make connection with this one, and drove it to deep left for two bags, bringing in two runs.