Produced by KD Weeks, David Edwards and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Transcriberâs Note: This version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects. Italics are delimited with the â_â character as _italic_. Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please see the transcriberâs note at the end of this text for details regarding the handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation. BOOKS FOR YOUNG MEN MERRIWELL SERIES Stories of Frank and Dick Merriwell =PRICE, FIFTEEN CENTS= _=Fascinating Stories of Athletics=_ A half million enthusiastic followers of the Merriwell brothers will attest the unfailing interest and wholesomeness of these adventures of two lads of high ideals, who play fair with themselves, as well as with the rest of the world. These stories are rich in fun and thrills in all branches of sports and athletics. They are extremely high in moral tone, and cannot fail to be of immense benefit to every boy who reads them. They have the splendid quality of firing a boyâs ambition to become a good athlete, in order that he may develop into a strong, vigorous right-thinking man. _ALL TITLES ALWAYS IN PRINT_ 1âFrank Merriwellâs School Days By Burt L. Standish 2âFrank Merriwellâs Chums By Burt L. Standish 3âFrank Merriwellâs Foes By Burt L. Standish 4âFrank Merriwellâs Trip West By Burt L. Standish 5âFrank Merriwell Down South By Burt L. Standish 6âFrank Merriwellâs Bravery By Burt L. Standish 7âFrank Merriwellâs Hunting Tour By Burt L. Standish 8âFrank Merriwell in Europe By Burt L. Standish 9âFrank Merriwell at Yale By Burt L. Standish 10âFrank Merriwellâs Sports Afield By Burt L. Standish 11âFrank Merriwellâs Races By Burt L. Standish 12âFrank Merriwellâs Party By Burt L. Standish 13âFrank Merriwellâs Bicycle Tour By Burt L. Standish 14âFrank Merriwellâs Courage By Burt L. Standish 15âFrank Merriwellâs Daring By Burt L. Standish 16âFrank Merriwellâs Alarm By Burt L. Standish 17âFrank Merriwellâs Athletes By Burt L. Standish 18âFrank Merriwellâs Skill By Burt L. Standish 19âFrank Merriwellâs Champions By Burt L. Standish 20âFrank Merriwellâs Return to Yale By Burt L. Standish 21âFrank Merriwellâs Secret By Burt L. Standish 22âFrank Merriwellâs Danger By Burt L. Standish 23âFrank Merriwellâs Loyalty By Burt L. Standish 24âFrank Merriwell in Camp By Burt L. Standish 25âFrank Merriwellâs Vacation By Burt L. Standish 26âFrank Merriwellâs Cruise By Burt L. Standish 27âFrank Merriwellâs Chase By Burt L. Standish 28âFrank Merriwell in Maine By Burt L. Standish 29âFrank Merriwellâs Struggle By Burt L. Standish 30âFrank Merriwellâs First Job By Burt L. Standish 31âFrank Merriwellâs Opportunity By Burt L. Standish 32âFrank Merriwellâs Hard Luck By Burt L. Standish 33âFrank Merriwellâs ProtÃ©gÃ© By Burt L. Standish 34âFrank Merriwell on the Road By Burt L. Standish 35âFrank Merriwellâs Own Company By Burt L. Standish 36âFrank Merriwellâs Fame By Burt L. Standish 37âFrank Merriwellâs College Chums By Burt L. Standish 38âFrank Merriwellâs Problem By Burt L. Standish 39âFrank Merriwellâs Fortune By Burt L. Standish 40âFrank Merriwellâs New Comedian By Burt L. Standish 41âFrank Merriwellâs Prosperity By Burt L. Standish 42âFrank Merriwellâs Stage Hit By Burt L. Standish 43âFrank Merriwellâs Great Scheme By Burt L. Standish 44âFrank Merriwell in England By Burt L. Standish 45âFrank Merriwell on the Boulevards By Burt L. Standish 46âFrank Merriwellâs Duel By Burt L. Standish 47âFrank Merriwellâs Double Shot By Burt L. Standish 48âFrank Merriwellâs Baseball Victories By Burt L. Standish 49âFrank Merriwellâs Confidence By Burt L. Standish Dick Merriwellâs Assurance OR, IN HIS BROTHERâS FOOTSTEPS BY BURT L. STANDISH Author of the famous MERRIWELL STORIES. [Illustration] STREET & SMITH CORPORATION PUBLISHERS 79-89 Seventh Avenue, New York Copyright, 1904 By STREET & SMITH ------- Dick Merriwellâs Assurance (Printed in the United States of America) All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign languages, including the Scandinavian. DICK MERRIWELLâS ASSURANCE. --- CHAPTER I. ARLINGTON GETS THE CHANCE. When the Fardale Military Academy arranged to play a baseball game with the Great Northern A. A. it was generally believed that the cadets would be âsnowed under.â The Great Northern was a semi-professional organization, and it had been necessary to give the team a large guarantee in order to bring it to Fardale. Captain Merriwell, of the Fardales, had taken no part in the arrangements for this game. He had advised neither for nor against it. The success of the Fardale team had been such that the athletic committee of the school, on receiving the proposition from the Great Northern, had decided to make the game, even though it was known that the schoolboys would be pitted against semi-professionals who were much older and many of whom made a regular business of baseball. It was generally believed among the cadets that their team had risen superior to the school nines with which they were scheduled to play. This being the case, there was a great rejoicing at the academy when it was known that the Great Northern A. A. would appear there. There were a few who predicted overwhelming defeat for Fardale. These, however, were greatly in the minority; the main body of cadets were confident of victory. When Captain Merriwellâs opinion was sought in advance, he simply declared that Fardale was going to capture the game if possible. On being asked if he did not consider it almost a sure thing, he replied that no baseball game could be a sure thing unless one team greatly outclassed the other, for that element called âluckâ often decided the result of a contest on the diamond. Brad Buckhart, Merriwellâs chum and roommate, was the only one who knew Dick was in no condition to pitch his best. Dickâs side had been injured by an assault upon him in a billiard room, when he had been thrown against a table. It had not recovered, and if he went into the box with the idea of pitching nine innings when the Great Northern appeared, it was quite likely he would retard his recovery to such an extent that he might remain out of condition for the rest of the spring season. It was Brad who urged Dick to let some one else pitch against the athletic organization. The Texan chose the opportunity to do this privately in their room. âIf you get knocked out for fair and canât pitch any more this season, I certain see where we land in the ditch,â said Brad; âthis yere game donât amount to such a lot, pard; what if we do lose it? It wonât hurt our standing any at all in the school series, and it certain will be the natural thing any man with a good nut on him will expect. What if you did go in against these Great Northern chaps and win, but knocked yourself out so you had to stay on the bench and see Fairport, Rivermouth, Hudsonville, Springvale, and the rest of them eat us up? Wouldnât that be fine! Wouldnât that make you tired! You didnât have anything to do with arranging for this game, and so thereâs no responsibility on your shoulders.â Dick shook his head. âI have little to do with arranging any of the games,â he said; âbut I feel just as much responsible, Buckhart. Every one knows this is going to be a tough old struggle. If I put some one else in to pitch they will have the impression that I was afraid to go against the Great Northern.â âWhat do you care! Youâre a whole lot independent, and I certain never knew you to mind what any one thought, as long as you believed you were right.â âItâs not that, Brad. I canât afford to lose the confidence of the team. As long as the fellows behind me believe in me implicitly, they play better baseball. Let them lose confidence in me, in even a small degree, and it will affect their playing.â âThen itâs up to you to let them know your condition. Itâs up to you to keep it secret no longer that your side is hurt. Pard, youâre a plenty queer. Why, some pitchers squeal and say they have lame arms, or something, every time there is a tough game in sight. But you never want to let any one know you are in bad shape, no matter what the circumstances may be. Tell you what, partner, if you donât explain about your side so it will be understood, I sure am going to do it myself.â âYou will do nothing of the sort, Buckhart; when I get ready to tell, Iâll tell. If you stop to think a moment you will see the bad effect of putting another man into the box. It will look as if I felt shaky about going against these fellows, and put some one else in to take chances and suffer blame and defeat if we are beaten.â âOh, rot! Any one who knows you well knows you better than that. And there is Chet Arlington. He is just seething to pitch a game.â Dick smiled. âYou can see yourself how it would seem if I should ask Arlington to pitch this game. He wanted to pitch against Hilsboro, and was not given the chance. He felt that he might win that game. If I should put him in now, and Fardale lost the game, which it is quite possible she may, there would be many who would fancy I had not given him a fair show. He might think so himself. You can see that, old man.â âWell, I suppose thatâs so,â admitted the Texan. âNever thought of it that way. No, pard, you canât ask him to pitch; but, all the same, you canât pitch yourself. What are you going to do?â âItâs a problem I canât answer now,â said Dick. Arlington was the one who settled the problem. That very day he stopped Merriwell on the parade ground, drew him aside, and said: âSee here, Captain Merriwell, I am going to ask you just one more favor. If you donât grant it, this will be the last time Iâll ever ask anything of you.â âWhat is it?â demanded Dick. âI want to pitch Saturday.â âDo you?â âSure thing. May I?â âDo you realize what you are asking?â âYou bet I do!â warmly retorted Chet. âYou turned me down the last time I asked such a favor, and I thought Iâd never ask another.â âI didnât turn you down. I thought seriously of using you against Hilsboro, but you went round telling that I had promised to put you into that game when I had done nothing of the sort. You knew I had done nothing of the sort, but you tried to force me into it by circulating the report that I had. This is true, Arlington, and you cannot deny it.â âWell, maybe thatâs right,â confessed Chester. âI did wrong about that, Merriwell. I am willing to acknowledge it to any one.â Instantly Dickâs face cleared. âNow that you have acknowledged it to me you donât have to say anything more about it,â he nodded. âWeâll let it drop. But I want you to think this matter over before you plunge. You know the kind of a team we have to meet Saturday. Those fellows are professionals. Our chance of beating them is a small one. I donât want you to go around telling that I said this, but you should understand the facts. If you pitch that game you may lose it. If I put you in, there will be many ready to say I did it because I didnât dare pitch myself.â âAny one who says such a thing is a chump!â exclaimed Chester. âYou donât have to pay any attention to such talk.â âBut you know it will be said.â âPut me in and I will tell everybody the truth-that I begged you to do so. Why should you pitch this game, anyhow? Itâs not a school game, and it will be no disgrace to lose it. If I pitch, I am going to do my utmost to win. You know what it will mean to me if I do win. It will put me on my feet here. It will give me a reputation. The actual fact is that by letting me pitch you will be doing a great favor to one who has done you no favors.â âIs that the way you look at it, Arlington? Tell me the truth. Is that the way you look at it?â âI swear thatâs the way I look at it.â âThen say nothing and get into the best condition possible for that game.â Chesterâs face brightened. âNow, thatâs great stuff, Captain Merriwell!â he said. âI wonât forget this of you, and you see if I donât work like a dog to take that game!â âI hope you take it,â said Dick. CHAPTER II. FARDALEâS BRILLIANT OPENING. The game of the Great Northern being well advertised and the day fair and bright, a large crowd turned out. The Great Northern boys seemed to think the whole thing something of a lark. They looked on the cadets with amusement, fancying they could win the game with ease. At the usual hour the game was called, with the visitors at bat. When Chester Arlington went into the box for Fardale and Dick Merriwell was seen sitting on the bench, there came from the cadets a murmur of surprise and disappointment. âWell, what do you think of that?â exclaimed Hector Marsh, who was seated with his usual companions, Walker, Preston, and Shaw. âArlington is going to pitch this game.â âThis is clever of Merriwell,â said Preston. âHe is sending a lamb to the slaughter. He knows which side his bread is buttered on. We canât beat those fellows.â âWell, I will say one thing,â observed Walker. âThis is the first time I have ever known Merriwell to decline to face the music.â âIt shows just how big a chump Arlington is,â growled Marsh. âWhy, poor fellow! he oughter know better!â âI was counting on seeing the mighty Merriwell knocked out of the box to-day,â said Preston. âThis is a great disappointment to me.â âItâs ten to one Arlington wonât last three innings,â nodded Walker. âPerhaps Merriwell will go in after that, and we will have the pleasure of seeing both of them get their bumps.â Chester had been taking good care of himself for several days and was feeling in fine fettle. He was full of confidence, as usual, and believed he would be able to astonish every one by his work that day. âWell! well! well!â roared one of the Great Northern players from the bench, as their first batter stepped out. âSee him pound the leather! Watch him drive it a mile!â Up popped Ted Smart, who cried: âPlease donât drive it a mile, sir! Please donât drive it more than half a mile! I know you will hit it very, very hard, but I hope you wonât spoil the ball!â Arlington was ready to pitch, and now the players behind him opened up. âPut it right over, old boy,â said Earl Gardner. âTrim his whiskers!â chattered Chip Jolliby. âLet âim see âow âard âe can âit hit,â advised Billy Bradley, the English boy. âDern my picter! I am right here behind ye!â piped Obediah Tubbs. âPut it into the pocket!â growled Buckhart, holding up his big mitt. âPut it right there, old man!â Having toed the slab, Arlington whistled in the first ball, which was a sharp inshoot. The batter struck, and the ball plunked into the Texanâs glove. âOh, dear me!â came from Ted Smart. âDidnât he hit it hard!â The entire Fardale team was chattering away now in a lively fashion, every player on his toes and ready to do his duty. Having led the batter to swing at the first one, Chester sought to âpullâ him with an outcurve. Ligner was wary, however and refused to go after it. âGet âem over! Get âem over, young feller!â he growled. âCanât you find the plate?â Chester tried a high one, and again Ligner missed it. âWasnât that an awful hit!â came from Smart. âI didnât expect him to hit it so far!â Arlington was doing his best at the very outset. He could not lead Ligner into reaching for wide ones. As a result, he was compelled to put the ball over. Then the batter did hit it. He drove it like a shot straight at Gardner, who never flinched. The ball struck in Earlâs hands, but dropped to the ground. Quick as thought Gardner picked it up and sent it across to first, and the first batter was out. Ligner paused near the base and stood with his hands on his hips, staring at Gardner. âBurned your mitts a little, kid, didnât it?â he cried. âNext time I will take your paws off. You will learn better than to stand in front of those after a while.â At this the cadets set up a derisive shout. âThat fellow is foolish, Mr. Man!â cried Smart, as soon as he could be heard. âHe never will seem to dodge âem!â âThatâs the first one, Arlington,â said Gardner. âTheyâre half goneâhalf gone!â âYou must be good at arithmetic!â derisively called one of the visitors from the bench. âBeautiful work, Gardner!â said Arlington, in satisfaction. âA fellow can pitch with that kind of support!â The second hitter was a stocky young Irish lad by the name of OâRouke. âHeâs easy,â asserted Ligner. âAll you have to do is wait, and he will put a pretty one right over.â Chester surveyed OâRouke critically, his toe on the pitching plate. His pose was one of grace, and he knew it. He knew also that in the grand stand were several girls who were watching him anxiously. He had seen his sister, accompanied by Doris Templeton and Zona Desmond, enter the grand stand, and occasionally his eyes sought them. âJune,â said Zona, âI think your brother is just splendid! I think he is the handsomest fellow in the whole school!â June smiled. âI am glad you think so,â she said. âI know lots of girls who think so,â declared Zona, flashing Doris a glance. âI hope he wins this game to-day,â murmured June. âIt will mean so much to him. It will give him courage and confidence.â âOf course he will,â nodded Zona. âOh, it isnât sure. It is going to be a hard game. Every one says Dick Merriwell acknowledged it would be a hard game.â âWhy didnât he pitch?â âYes, why didnât he?â broke from Doris. âI donât know,â June confessed. âIt does seem strange he should use Chester in such a game.â âPerhaps he was afraid,â suggested Zona. âOh, I donât believe that!â June exclaimed immediately. âNor I,â said Doris. âStill you canât tell,â persisted Zona. âOf course, he would hate to lose a game. It would hurt his record.â âI donât believe he would put any one else in to pitch for that reason,â declared Chesterâs sister. âItâs not like him.â âYou think it isnât like him,â smiled Zona, in a knowing manner. âBut I believe youâre mistaken.â âWhy are you always against Dick, Zona?â demanded Doris, with a touch of resentment. âOh, Iâm not! Youâre quite mistaken if you think I am. Only I donât believe he is such a very superior boy, anyway. Even Chester says his success is mainly good luck.â âLike other fellows,â observed June, âChester says many things he doesnât mean.â At this point OâRouke hit the ball and drove out a liner, which Obediah Tubbs failed to reach, although he jumped for it. The batter was a swift runner, and he started instantly when the bat hit the ball. Getting such a good start, he crossed first and dashed for second. Both Jolliby and Flint raced after the ball, but Jollibyâs legs carried him to it first. He caught it up and wheeled, seeing that OâRouke was trying to stretch the hit into a two-bagger. In the matter of throwing the lanky centre-fielder of the home team was a wonder. He now sent the ball on a dead line into the hands of Obediah Tubbs, who received it and jumped into the air as OâRouke slid, spikes first, for the bag. The runner made the slide in that manner in order to drive Tubbs away; but the leap of the fat boy in the air permitted him to escape being spiked, and he came down with all his weight fairly on the sliding player. Obediahâs bulk stopped OâRouke as if the fellow had struck a stone wall. His foot was six inches from the bag, and Tubbs had fallen on him. âJudgment!â cried the fat boy shrilly. âDern my picter! He came near opening a seam in me that time! But, by Jim! I bet he wonât try to put his calks into me again!â In truth the breath had been knocked out of OâRouke, and he lay still for four or five seconds after Obed got up. âThe man is out!â was the umpireâs decision. âWhat a shame!â yelled Ted Smart. Arlington walked down toward second, receiving the ball from Tubbs as the latter tossed it to him. âYou nailed him fast, Obed, my boy,â he said. âYou bet I did, by jinks!â grinned Tubbs. âWhy didnât they get an elephant to play second base!â snarled OâRouke, as he brushed the dust from his suit and walked off the diamond. âStruck a snag, didnât you, Mike?â asked Tom Grace, the captain of the Great Northern, as OâRouke returned to the bench. âThatâs what I did,â nodded the fellow. âI thought Iâd fix him with my spikes that trip, but he just jumped into the air and came down on me like a brick block. I thought he had broken every rib in my body. You fellows want to look out for him when you slide to second.â Hardy, the next batter, sent a nasty little bounder down to Bradley, who fumbled it long enough for the batter to safely reach first. âNow weâre going, boys,â laughed Grace, as he stepped out to hit. âWe might as well clinch the game right here in this inning.â âOf course you will do it!â cried Ted Smart. âWe know you will! Weâll take delight in seeing you clinch the game!â Chester held Hardy close to first, but the fellow was a good base runner, and he started to steal on the second ball pitched. Grace gave his bat a wild flourish in front of Buckhart, but the Texan was undisturbed by this, and he proceeded to snap the ball on a line to Tubbs, who caught it in time to be waiting for Hardy as the latter made a desperate lunge for the bag. âTag, youâre it!â piped the fat boy, as he ânailedâ the ball onto the runner. Three men were out, and the Great Northern had not scored in the first inning. Although they were surprised by the result, the players trotted onto the field, laughing and joking. There were three pitchers with the team, and they had decided to use their weakest man in the box, for they were sure he would be good enough to hold the cadets down. The next surprise came when Gardner bunted the second ball pitched and scudded down to first with such speed that he reached the bag safely. âDear me, isnât that too bad!â cried Ted Smart, as the Fardale cheer died away. âThatâs the tut-tut-tut-time you fuf-fuf-fuf-fooled him!â laughed Chip Jolliby, prancing about on the coach line back of first base. Barron Black, the second hitter, finally picked out a good one and sacrificed himself in driving Gardner down to second. With one man out, Dave Flint came up. Flint was beyond question one of the finest batters on the Fardale team. He seldom lifted a ball into the air, and his line drives were generally safety placed. On this occasion he selected an outcurve that was on the outer corner and lined it into right field. With a good lead off second, Gardner literally flew over third and came home on the throw to the plate. This throw enabled Flint to reach second. âThat doesnât amount to anything,â declared the captain of the visitors. âWe can give you a dozen runs and then beat you out.â ââOw remarkable!â drawled Billy Bradley. ââOw hextremely confident you hare!â Dick was directing the game by signals from the bench, having a bat in his hands, which he held in various ways understood by all the players. At the same time he was talking to Arlington. âYouâre getting the support,â he said. âIf they back you up that way you will make those fellows hustle to win this game. They are overconfident now and think they can take it anyhow. The time for us to get a start is right away.â âBut they are hitters!â retorted Chester. âBy George! I did my best to fool those fellows and they got at the ball!â Dick nodded. âThey know how to hit, all right,â he admitted. âIt depends a great deal on your success in keeping them from hitting safely at critical times. I want you to win this game, Arlington, and I sincerely hope you do.â Billy Bradley was the batter, but his hit to right bounded straight into the fielderâs hands, and he was thrown out at first. At the same time Flint was held on third by the catcher. Chip Jolliby now strode out, and Factor, the pitcher, paused to laugh at him. âWhere did this chalk mark come from?â chuckled Factor. âBet you have to stand twice in a place to cast a shadow.â âYouâre awful fuf-fuf-fuf-funny!â chattered Chip. âJust you pup-pup-pup-pitch the ball, and perhaps you wonât fuf-fuf-fuf-feel so fuf-fuf-fuf-funny!â âTry this,â invited Factor, as he sent in a high one. Jolliby caught it on the end of the bat and drove it over the infield, bringing Flint home. Then came big Bob Singleton. The cadets were wildly excited, for they believed Bob would improve this opportunity to slug the ball. Singleton went after it hard, but Factor was on his mettle, and big Bob finally fanned, which retired Fardale with two runs in the first. âWhat are you doing, Factor?â muttered Grace, as he walked in with the pitcher. âThey hit you that trip.â âOh, whatâs the use!â returned Factor. âWe can take this game any time we want it. I am not going to pitch my arm off for a lot of kids like these.â âBetter not fool with them too much. We canât afford to let them beat us.â âThey canât win this game in a thousand years!â was the retort. Although the Great Northern went after runs in the second inning and succeeded in getting a man on third and another on second, with only one man out, a beautiful play extinguished their hopes and shut them off with startling suddenness. At this the cadets rose in a body and gave the Fardale cheer. âThat was squeezing out of a tight corner,â confessed Arlington, as he reached the bench. âThey had me guessing then.â âGet at it, boys, and make some more runs!â urged Dick. Obediah Tubbs was distinctly seen to shut his eyes and dodge awkwardly as the first ball was pitched. It struck him glancingly, and the umpire sent him to first. âThe next time I will take a wing off you, Fatty!â declared Factor. âYou want to look out for that!â âDern your picter! You will have to put more speed into it than that!â retorted Obed, having reached the bag. âIâd never knowed I was hit if the empire hadnât told me to take my base.â Buckhart seemed eager to hit, and Factor now tried to coax him into going after bad ones. The result was that Brad finally worked out a pass to first, and two runners were on the bags when Arlington stepped out to the plate. There was a hush. âNow watch him!â growled Hector Marsh, nudging Fred Preston. âHe thinks he will do something great! Bet he strikes out.â âI will bet he doesnât get a safe hit,â said Preston. âLook at the pose he assumes!â sneered Walker. âWouldnât that freeze your feet!â After a wide out, Chester let a good one pass, and a strike was called on him. Factor tried to deceive him with a drop, but Chester was wary and stopped the swing of his bat so quickly that the umpire declared it a ball. âOh, hit it! hit it!â exclaimed the pitcher. âWhat are you making motions like that for?â Arlington did not reply. With the next ball pitched, however, he swung and met it full and fair. At first it seemed certain the ball would go over the fence, and a roar of delight rose from the cadets. It struck against the top of the fence, however, and bounded back. Although it did not go over, this hit was sufficient to let both Tubbs and Buckhart score. Immediately the cadets began to sing âFardaleâs Way.â Factor now keyed himself up and pitched at his best. Gardner drove out a short fly that was captured, while Black followed with a longer one that was taken by an outfielder, on which Arlington reached third. Flint now came up once more and was given an ovation. This time he drove a hot one along the ground, and Grace barely touched it as it went bounding past. On this Arlington scored. The Fardale boys were wild with delight. They shouted until they were hoarse. Bradley did his best to follow the good example that had been set for him, but at last Factor woke up and struck the latter out, which retired the home team; but not, however, until three tallies had been added to their score, which left them, at the close of the second inning, five in the lead. CHAPTER III. GREAT NORTHERN FINDS ARLINGTON. By this time the cadets were jubilant, and Chester Arlington was greatly puffed up over his success. The Fardale boys had anticipated nothing like this, and they were beginning to believe their team would take the game with ease. âThis is Arlingtonâs day,â declared Clint Shaw. âHe struck it right this time.â âHeâs pitching a great game,â muttered Tom Walker. âRats!â growled Marsh. âPitching nothing! Itâs the support heâs had. Those chaps have hit him right along, but good luck has prevented them from piling up runs.â âThere has been lots of luck to it,â nodded Preston. âI should say so!â snarled Marsh; âbut you fellows waitâwait and see! If they keep on hitting the ball that way, they will put him to the stable before the game is over.â Again Arlingtonâs support enabled him to hold the enemy down and keep them from scoring. Chester was in high spirits as he came in to the bench and sat down beside Merriwell. âI thought I could hold them down to-day,â he laughed. âYouâre doing well,â declared Dick. âKeep the good work up.â At the first opportunity Buckhart slid up to Dickâs side and muttered: âYou want to watch him close, partner. See how those fellows found the ball. Donât sit still and let them pound out a victory when they get started. If we can hold them down now we have got the game. Arlington will take all the credit if we win.â âHe deserves some credit,â declared Dick. âBut you can see the kind of support he is getting. Why, Gardner could pitch a winning game with that support!â Although June Arlington was well pleased by what was happening, she knew enough about baseball to understand that great credit was due her brotherâs backers for the success he was having. Zona Desmond, however, did not look at it in this light. âI knew what he could do if he had the chance,â laughed Zona. âHe hasnât been given a fair show before this. Now, just look what is happening, and he is pitching against the hardest team Fardale will have to face this season. Arenât you delighted, June?â âOf course I am,â nodded June. âBut I think it was funny of Dick to put him into such a hard game,â declared Zona. âIf Dick is the greatest pitcher in this school, why doesnât he pitch the hard games and let the other fellows pitch the easier ones?â âPerhaps he has a good reason for not pitching to-day.â The yellow-haired girl gave her head a toss. âVery likely he didnât care about taking chances himself. He was afraid.â âYou know better, Zona!â burst from Doris. âYou know Dick is not afraid of anything!â âOh, thatâs what you think! Other people may think differently.â âI am sure Doris is right,â said June quietly. âI know Dick is afraid of nothing.â âWell, it is a fine thing for a fellow when every girl he knows seems to fancy him such a wonder!â retorted Zona, with an unpleasant laugh. The third inning proved to be a whitewash, Fardale not even succeeding in getting a player down to first. In the fourth inning the Great Northern got a man to third base with only one out. But Chesterâs success made him confident of shutting off the score. His confidence vanished, however, when the next player lined the ball out for two bags and the enemy secured a run. Buckhart glanced toward Captain Merriwell and shook his head. Nevertheless, Dick did not seem at all disturbed, although Tom Grace was roaring with laughter on the coaching line and declaring that the slaughter had begun. âAccidents will happen, old man,â said Gardner, as he returned the ball to Chet. âDonât mind that.â âBut you should have stopped it!â declared Arlington. âWhy, I couldnât touch it!â âYou didnât try!â Earlâs face flushed. âOh, he has had his lesson!â averred Grace. âHe knows how those liners feel! Bet his hands are burning yet!â âIf youâre afraid,â said Chet, âyou had better let some one else play that position.â This injustice touched Gardner keenly, but he made no retort. The following batter lifted a long one into the field, and the runner on second believed he saw his opportunity to score. By a splendid run Black succeeded in pulling the fly down, upon which he immediately threw to Gardner, who wheeled and snapped the ball to Tubbs for a double play. This splendid work delighted the cadets and relieved Arlington. As he came in to the bench, however, Chester was growling at Gardner. âIf you had stopped the liner,â he said, âthey could not have scored! You didnât go after it until it was past you!â Earl was beginning to get sore over this, and he gave Chet a resentful look as he warmly retorted: âIf youâre not satisfied with my playing I will get out of the game!â âThat will do, both of you!â said Dick sharply. âNo one was to blame for that run. And no man in Gardnerâs place could have touched the ball.â At this Chester suddenly shut up, although he continued to feel angered because the run had been made. âWe still have a good lead,â said Dick. âGet into it, fellows, and hold them down! Perhaps you can add a few tallies right here!â The cadets had not lost their confidence, and by a combination of good work and good luck they also landed a man on third with only one out. By this time Factor was nervous. He had not anticipated this sort of a game, and he realized that his reputation with his own team depended on his success in the present contest. Fully aware that he was regarded as the weakest pitcher the Great Northern had, and that he had been used against the schoolboys because Grace did not wish to wear out a better man, he saw before him the prospect of release in case Fardale should win. The cheering and singing of the cadets seemed once more to put vigor and determination into the players, and they went after Factor hotly. The next batter happened to be Singleton, and big Bob got in one of his wonderful long drives to the fence, on which he took three bags and sent a man ahead of him home. Factorâs nervousness increased. âWhatâs the matter with you, Bill?â growled Tom Grace. âAre you going to let those kids blanket you? You claim to be a pitcher!â Factor set his teeth, determined to end it right there. Once more Obediah Tubbs managed to get hit by the ball, and this added to the unsteadiness of the visiting pitcher. Then came Buckhart, who smashed the leather a fierce one, scoring Singleton and landing Tubbs on third, while he himself took second. Arlington walked out, smiling and confident, resolved to clinch his own game then and there. As a result of his overconfidence Factor was able to make him swing ineffectively twice and might have struck him out had he not lost control and hit Chet with the ball. This filled the bases. Grace called for âtimeâ and walked into the diamond. âSee here, Bill Factor,â he said under his breath, âif youâre off your trolley you had better go to the bench. I will put Peterson in.â âDonât,â begged Factor. âIâm all right! I can win this game!â âPlay ball! Play ball!â roared the cadets. âDear me!â shouted Ted Smart, waving his arms in the air. âIt canât be youâre frightened! Why, of course youâre not frightened! We know you will win! You canât help winning! Itâs just as easy as can be. Youâre only playing a lot of kids, you know.â âPoor old Factor! Poor old Factor!â sang a lot of the cadets in unison. âI will give you one more show,â growled Grace. âItâs your last chance!â This knowledge did not add to Factorâs steadiness, and, after having one strike and two balls called, Gardner tucked in a beautiful little single that scored two men. Immediately Grace ordered Factor out of the box and replaced him with Peterson, who was a left-hander. Peterson had a nasty drop that curved in toward the batterâs ankles, and in short order he retired the home team. At this stage of the game, however, the score was eight to one in favor of Fardale, and Arlington confidently declared he would never let the enemy overtake them. The next two innings proved to be hard ones, and neither side scored. The cadets saw that in Peterson they had a problem that was difficult to solve. Had this pitcher been put in at the beginning of the game, it is doubtful if Fardale would have obtained a run. As it was, it began to appear as if the schoolboys had secured a lead sufficient to give them the game. No longer were the members of the athletic team laughing and joking, for at last they realized that they were âup against the real thing.â As the innings passed and the home team continued to hold its lead, Arlingtonâs confidence increased until it reached the point where he was altogether too sure. Overconfidence is often as fatal in a hard game of baseball as lack of confidence. It has defeated many a team that should have been victorious. The seventh proved to be a disastrous inning for Fardale. The visitors came to bat with the head of their list up. Ligner justified his name and his position by catching an outcurve near the end of the bat and driving out a two-bagger. OâRouke followed with a clean single to right field, and Ligner came home with three feet to spare. The throw to the plate in an effort to stop this run let OâRouke advance to second. Yet Arlington had lost none of his confidence, and it still seemed that the cadets had a safe lead. Chester believed he had found Hardyâs weak spot, which was a high ball close to the shoulder, but he had not discovered that the batter was one of those rare men who have no weak spots. This being the case, Chet was not a little surprised and disgusted when Hardy dropped back on a close one, caught it fairly, and singled. OâRouke was held at third by the catcher, although it seemed that he might have scored. It was now up to Tom Grace, the captain of the Great Northern, and the look on this manâs face indicated he meant business. Chester was smiling as Grace took his position to hit. âHaving a good time, my boy?â inquired the batter. âSplendid!â retorted Arlington. âIâm glad youâre enjoying yourself. I hope you donât meet with any disappointment.â âDonât worry about me,â advised Chet, as he whistled in a high ball. âGet âem down, kid! Get âem down!â cried Grace. âYou have got to do it or furnish me with a stepladder! I am only five feet ten, and I canât reach that high!â When Arlington tried a slow drop, Grace stepped forward to the limit of his box and picked it up with a sweep of the bat that drove it over the infield and out between Black and Jolliby, neither of whom could catch it. OâRouke scored and Hardy followed him to the plate, making the third run of the inning without a man retired. No wonder the smile faded from Arlingtonâs face. By this time Hector Marsh was convulsed with delight, although he was trying to conceal the fact. âHereâs where they make a hundred!â he muttered in Prestonâs ear. âThey are onto little Chet at last, and he will never stop them.â âIt begins to look that way,â confessed Fred. âWait a minute and you will see Merriwell take Arlington out.â âHeâs a fool if he does!â declared Hec. âThis game isnât important, and this is Merriwellâs opportunity to let Arlington stay in and get his bumps.â June Arlington had grown pale, for she realized the danger, and it was with difficulty she repressed her agitation. âWhy donât they catch those balls?â exclaimed Zona Desmond. âThey canât,â asserted Doris. âI donât believe theyâre trying,â declared Zona. âThey are jealous because Chester is pitching so well, and they donât want to catch them. What do you think, June?â âI am afraid Dick will have to go in to save the game,â confessed June. âNonsense!â cried Zona, tossing her head. âHow can he save it?â âHe might stop that hitting.â âIf those fellows will catch the ball it will be all right. I tell you they are not supporting your brother, June.â âI donât think that is the matter.â âWell, I do! Any one can see it is!â Again Brad Buckhart had cast an appealing look toward Dick. All along the Texan had felt the visitors had a hitting team and might make a spurt any time, and now he was sure the dangerous moment of the game had been reached. Chester set his teeth and faced Minot, the next batter. Minot was a good waiter, and he compelled the Fardale pitcher to put the ball over the plate. Getting one that satisfied him, the batter drove it swiftly along the ground between first and second. By a rapid play, which was astonishing for one so corpulent, Tubbs cuffed the ball to one side, although he did not capture it. Singleton was compelled to get off first to secure the ball, which permitted Minot to reach the bag in safety. With two men on the bases, Brinkley followed the example that had been set by his companions and drove out a two-bagger, which scored Grace and Minot. Still not a Great Northern man had been put out in the inning. Although the cadets had cheered Tubbs for stopping the ball, there seemed a note of apprehension in their voices. Hal Darrell was talking with Day and Whitney, and now Darrell said: âSee here, Day, old man, weâre going to lose this game if something isnât done right away.â âWhat do you think ought to be done?â questioned the chairman of the committee. âI think Merriwell ought to get in and pitch the game out.â âWhy doesnât he do it?â exclaimed Whitney. âHe is there on the bench, and he can go in any time.â âPerhaps he thinks it wonât be right to take Arlington out now.â âDo you favor interfering?â asked Day. âSurely I am not in favor of keeping still and seeing this game lost,â answered Hal. âPerhaps Arlington will take a brace,â observed Whitney. âHeâs got to take a brace pretty quick,â said Darrell. âIf he doesnât this game will be gone to the dogs before he knows it.â âIf the next man hits safely,â said Day, âI will speak to Merriwell.â He had his opportunity a moment later, for Costigan, after fouling twice, drove out a grounder that could not be touched by the infield, and Brinkley took a chance to score on it. The ball was thrown to the plate, but the throw was bad and pulled Buckhart off so far that he could not tag Brinkley in time to stop the run. The Great Northern had now made six runs in this fatal inning, and Fardale was but one score in the lead. Costigan was on second, and not one of the hilarious visitors was out. âThe game is lost!â declared Darrell. Immediately Day hurried to Dick. âLook here, Captain Merriwell,â he panted, âyou have got to take that fellow out.â âIs that an order from you?â asked Dick. âIt is an order from the committee.â âAll right,â said Dick, as he quickly rose to his feet and made a signal. Immediately Buckhart stepped onto the home plate to prevent Wallace from hitting. Dick walked onto the diamond. Instantly the cadets rose in a mass and roared his name. âWell! well! well!â laughed Tom Grace. âAt last we have put a blanket on your pitcher. He gets to the stable. Back, back to the stable, my pretty boy.â Chester was white as a sheet. The moment he saw Merriwell rise from the bench he dropped the ball and walked out of the box. âI am sorry, Arlington,â said Dick, in a low tone; âbut I have got to take you out.â âI am glad of it!â declared Chet. âIt is fiendish luck! Whatâs the matter with those duffers behind me? Have they gone to pieces?â âYou are being hit hard, thatâs all,â said Dick. âYouâve pitched a fine game up to this inning, but those Great Northern chaps are hitters, and they have solved your delivery.â âThatâs what you think,â retorted Chet; âbut I know Iâm not getting proper support. I am ready to go out.â Although he was in no condition to pitch, Dick warmed up a little and went into the box. âNow we will give this baby his bumps,â laughed Grace. Merriwell had been studying the batters, and he felt that his only chance to stop the hitting was to âuse his head.â He could not depend on his best curves, for his side was too lame to permit him to throw them. Chester had been using speed, and now Dick began pitching a slow ball, which proved troublesome to the batters. After swinging twice at these slow ones, Wallace snapped: âOh! put a little ginger into your arm! Whatâs the matter with you? Speed up, kidâspeed up!â âWell, hereâs speed for you,â retorted Dick; but again he threw a provokingly slow ball, with the result that Wallace popped up a little fly that dropped into Merriwellâs hands. Like a flash Dick whirled and threw to second, catching Costigan off the bag, and two men were out. âHa! ha! ha! âRah! ârah! ârah! Ziggerboom! Riggerboom! Merriwell! Merriwell! Merriwell!â burst from the cadets. âTalk about luck!â grated Chester Arlington, who had witnessed this play. âThatâs his luck! Why canât I have some of it?â âSay, youngster,â called Tom Grace, âlet me see your horseshoe. Where do you keep it?â Dick paid no attention to this. He concentrated every faculty on the effort to retire Peterson, knowing the Great Northern pitcher was not nearly as good a hitter as Ligner, who followed him. Peterson finally lifted a high infield fly, which Earl Gardner smothered, and the joy of the cadets was expressed in another wild cheer, for at last the enemy had been checked, with Fardale still one run in the lead. Arlington was savage enough when the boys came in to the bench. âI had that game won,â he declared. âIt was not my fault they made those runs. Why didnât you chaps keep on playing baseball?â This was more than Chip Jolliby could stand. âOh, go sus-sus-sus-soak your head!â he chattered, in disgust. âYou need something to take the sus-sus-sus-welling out of it.â âBe careful!â panted Chet. âI wonât stand that from anybody.â âDonât talk to us about support!â indignantly exclaimed Earl Gardner. âNo fellow ever got better support on this field than you got.â âThatâs
{'title': "Dick Merriwell's Assurance; Or, In His Brother's Footsteps by Burt L. Standish", 'source': 'Project Gutenberg', 'lang': 'en'}