As was to be expected, Roxley had its best batters on the top of the list.  The first fellow to face Tom was a hitter well-known for his prowess.  As Tom had heard that this man loved a low ball, he purposely sent in the sphere rather high.

“One ball.”

“That’s right, Clink!  Make him give you what you want.”

The next ball was intended for an out-curve, but, somehow, Tom missed it, and it came in fairly over the plate.  Crack!  The bat connected with it, and away the sphere sailed to center field.

“Run, run!” The cry echoed from all sides, and, almost in a twinkling, Clink was down to first, and racing for second.  Then, feeling that he had time to go further, he bounded onward, and slid safely to third.

“That’s the way to do it!  Look, a three-bagger!”

“Hurray!  We’ve got them on the run; keep it up, boys!” And then the air was rent with the noise of horns and rattles.

“Steady, Tom, steady,” whispered Bob, as he walked toward the pitcher.  “Don’t let them rattle you; take your time.”

“They are not going to rattle me,” returned Tom, and set his teeth hard.  He faced the new batsman, and then, of a sudden, twirled around and sent the ball whizzing to third.

“Look out! look out!” yelled the coach at third, and Clink dropped and grabbed the sack just in the nick of time.  Then Tom went for the batter.  One strike was called, and then two balls, and then another strike, and a ball.

“Don’t walk him, Tom, whatever you do,” said Spud, as he came down to consult with the pitcher.

“All right.  What do you think I ought to give him?”

“Try him on an in-shoot.”

Once again, Tom sent the ball over to third, almost catching Clink napping as before.  Then, the instant he had the sphere once more in his possession, he sent it swiftly in over the plate.

“Three strikes!  Batter out!”

“Good for you, Rover!  That’s the way to do it!”

“Now kill the other two, Tom!”

But to “kill the other two” was not so easy.  The next man went out on a pop fly to third, which held Clink where he was.  Following that came a safe hit which took the batter to first and allowed Clink to slide in with the first run.  For the moment pandemonium seemed to break loose.  The Roxley cohorts cheered wildly and sounded their horns and rattles.  Brill, of course, had nothing to say.

“Oh, Songbird, they got in a run!” remarked Nellie, much dismayed.

“Well, the game is young yet,” returned the Brill student.  Nevertheless, he felt much crestfallen to think that Roxley had scored first.

With one run in, and a man on first, Roxley went to the bat with more confidence than ever.  But it availed nothing, for Tom finished the inning with the Roxley runner getting no further than second.

“Now, boys, we’ve got to do something,” said the Brill captain, when the nine came in.  “Two runs at least, and three if we can possibly get them.”