Frank Merriwell's Son; Or, A Chip Off the Old Block

by Burt L. Standish

  CHAPTER XXXIX.

  JOLTS FOR BULLIES.

  Bender was a thin, sinewy, long-armed, hatchet-faced chap, who lookedlike an Indian. He had "traveled in fast company" for years, but wassaid to be a hard man to handle, having jumped more than one contractand being of a sullen and revengeful disposition.

  Bancroft, the catcher, was a rather stocky individual, inclined to be atrifle too fat. The general observer decided him out of condition andunfit for baseball. His position under the bat was awkward, and his facewore an expression of blankness, which seemed to indicate a lack of thatquick wit and keen intelligence to be found in every exceptionalbaseball player.

  Nevertheless, Bang Bancroft was one of the cleverest players on theRovers. He was a great short-arm thrower to bases. He could bat like afiend, and he had a knack of coaching and steadying a pitcher whichbrought out the best there was in any slab artist who "handed 'em up" tohim.

  McCann, shortstop and captain of the team, was a fighting Irishman witha peppery temper and a bullying disposition. This chap had a trick ofbulldozing umpires and opposing players, and he generally played whatis commonly called "scrappy baseball."

  The other members of the team took their cues from McCann, and theiraggressiveness was made apparent almost before the first ball waspitched over the plate.

  "Here's a mark, Bender!" cried McCann, as Mulloy stepped out with hisbat. "Eat him up!"

  "Come on, Mitt," came from O'Day, "burn a few hot ones over! Make himdizzy!"

  "Get back from the plate!" rasped Bender, as Barney took his position."Get back, or you'll get hit!"

  "Hit him if he crowds," came from Holmes; "but don't kill him. You knowyou killed one man last year and broke another man's jaw."

  "Go ahead and hit him," came from Clover. "He's Irish, and you can'tkill him."

  Frank Merriwell's eyes began to gleam with a peculiar light and his lipstightened.

  "They fancy they're up against a lot of youngsters they can intimidate,"he thought. "They mean to frighten us at the start."

  Again Bender motioned for Mulloy to move back from the plate.

  "Pitch the ball, me fri'nd--pitch the ball," said Barney. "Oi'm in mebox, and I'll shtand here."

  An instant later Bender delivered the ball, deliberately snapping aswift one straight at Mulloy.

  Barney might have dropped to the ground and thus avoided being hit, but,instead of doing so, he leaned far forward, with his left shoulderadvanced and his right shoulder held well back. In this manner heescaped being hit fairly by the ball, which glanced from the back of hisright shoulder.

  "Take your base!" called Carker promptly.

  Instantly there was a howl of protestation from the crowd back of firstbase.

  McCann made a rush at Carker.

  "Call him back!" snarled the captain of the Rovers. "He didn't try tododge that ball! He didn't try to get out of the way!"

  "The pitcher hit him deliberately," said Greg calmly. "He was threatenedbefore the ball was pitched. Get back into your position."

  McCann placed his hands on his hips and glared at Carker.

  "Who are ye tellin' to git back?" he rasped. "Do ye know who ye'retalkin' to, young feller?"

  "I'm talking to you," said Greg, in the same calm manner. "If you don'tget back in your position and play the game, I'll put you on the bench."

  "What?" shouted the Irishman. "Put me on the bench--you put me on thebench? I'd like to see you do it!"

  Greg pulled out his watch.

  "I'll give you just thirty seconds to get into your position and go onwith this game," he said.

  "If you put me on the bench, I'll take my team off the field!"threatened McCann.

  "And I'll forfeit the game to the home team," retorted Carker. "Twentyseconds. You have ten seconds more."

  McCann turned and retreated to his position, growling and muttering inan ugly manner.

  "Play ball, boys!" he called. "We can win the game, even if the umpireis against us!"

  Basil Bearover hurried to the bench of the home players and graspedFrank Merriwell by the shoulder.

  "Is this the kind of square deal you promised us?" he demanded.

  Merry rose, turned, and faced the man.

  "What's the matter?" was his question. "You know Mulloy was entitled tohis base."

  "But your umpire threatened to put one of my men out of the game."

  "He has authority to put any player out of the game. He can't fine themen, but he can order them off the field if they raise a disturbance andmake back talk to him. If one of my players should rush at him the wayMcCann did, I should expect him to put the man on the bench or off thefield. If he didn't do it, I'd do it myself. You know Bender threw thatball at Mulloy to drive him back from the plate, and you also know thatMulloy was in his proper position."

  "Aren't we going to have any sort of a square deal here?" gurgledBearover furiously.

  "You're going to have as square a deal as you ever received in all yourcareer, but you're not going to bulldoze the umpire or any one else onthis field."

  "If we don't get what we want, we'll stop the game in the very firstinning," threatened Bearover.

  "You can stop it by refusing to play," said Frank. "You heard Carkertell McCann that he would forfeit the game if he did such a thing. Itwill be all over in short order in case you or your captain pulls theteam off the field."

  "But look at this crowd! You'll disappoint this crowd! You'll have torefund the gate money!"

  "Which I'll do," said Merriwell. "I'll refund every cent that's beentaken at the gate. Did you read the Wellsburg _Herald_ this morning? Ifso, Mr. Bearover, I presume you saw a little item regarding aten-thousand-dollar bet. Now, if such a bet has been made, and you losethis game through forfeit, you'll likewise lose the bet. It may not costyou anything, but it will cost Mr. Silence ten thousand dollars. I don'tthink you'll take your team off the field to-day."

  Bearover was purple with anger.

  "Look at that bunch of boys back of first," he directed. "If you are notcareful, Mr. Merriwell, they'll waltz onto the field and wipe up theearth with you and your team and the umpire."

  "I don't think they will," said Frank. "At the present time they'rebeing watched by six deputies, every man of which carries a billy and apair of handcuffs. In case your tough crowd from Wellsburg attempts tomake a disturbance, the ringleaders will find themselves in Bloomfieldlockup. We've made preparations for you and your paid thugs, Mr.Bearover."

  While this conversation was taking place Bender had pretended to busyhimself in tying a shoestring, which he untied and retied several timesbefore it seemed satisfactory to him.

  "If you can win this game squarely, Bearover, you'll win it," saidFrank; "but you'll never win it through intimidation and bulldozing. Nowdon't bother me any more. Better keep on your own side and let your menplay the game. They'll have to play the best game they know if they wantto win."

  All this was quite unexpected by the "big bear" and his companions.Feeling that he was up against an unusual proposition, Bearover returnedto the visitors' bench, where Silence was somewhat nervously smoking acigarette.

  Bart Hodge was in position to strike. Bender whipped the ball over.Hodge let it pass.

  "One strike!" announced Carker.

  Bender's curve had carried the ball over the outside corner.

  The visiting pitcher followed this up with a sharp drop, which came downacross Bart's shoulders. Again Bart declined to swing.

  "Two strikes!" cried Carker.

  Bart did not kick. He did not even frown, although he realized he hadfailed to swing at two fair balls.

  The next ball was wide. Then followed a high one.

  Hodge hit the next ball and put up an infield fly, which was easilycaptured by McCann. Mulloy had promptly returned to first as soon as herealized the ball was going to the infield.

  Frank Merriwell received an ovation from the crowd as he stepped outwith a bat in his hand. He held the bat in a position which was a sig
nalfor Mulloy to attempt to steal on the first ball pitched.

  Merry swung at the ball, but was careful not to hit it. Mulloy went downto second.

  Bancroft made a sharp short-arm throw. Clover took the ball handsomely,and Mulloy was tagged as he slid.

  "Out!" announced Carker.

  "Why, the kids think they can steal on ye, Mitt!" sneered McCann, whilethe Rovers, with the exception of Bender, shouted with laughter.

  Two men were out, and there was a strike on Merriwell. Bender tried topull Frank with a couple of wide ones. Failing in this, he whipped overa sharp shoot.

  Merry fouled it.

  "Foul ball--two strikes!" came from Carker.

  The tough crowd back of first howled with satisfaction.

  "Strike him out, Bender!" they cried. "Show him up!"

  Bender followed with a drop, but it was a ball, and Frank declined toswing at it.

  "Three balls," said the calm, clear voice of the umpire.

  "A valk vill take you, Frankie!" cried Dunnerwurst, from the coachingline. "He vill made you a present to der virst pase. Yah!"

  Bender pretended to kick a pebble from beneath his feet. Suddenly,without any preliminary swing, he sent over a swift straight ball.

  Smash!

  Merriwell nailed the ball on the trade-mark.