CHAPTER XXXIV.
A HOT FINISH.
Yale took the field, and as the boys in blue trotted out, the familiar Yale yell broke from hundreds of throats.

Blue pennants were wildly fluttering, the band was playing a lively air, and for the moment it seemed as if the sympathy of the majority of the spectators was with Yale.
But when Hinkley, Harvard's great single hitter, who always headed the batting list, walked out with his pet "wagon tongue," a different sound swept over the multitude, and the air seemed filled with crimson pennants.
Merriwell went into the box, and the umpire broke open a pasteboard box, brought out a ball that was wrapped in tin foil, removed the covering, and tossed the snowy sphere to the freshman pitcher Yale had so audaciously stacked up against Harvard.
Frank looked the box over, examined the rubber plate, and seemed to make himself familiar with every inch of the ground in his vicinity.

Then he faced Hinkley, and a moment later delivered the first ball.
Hinkley smashed it on the nose, and it was past Merriwell in a second, skipping along the ground and passing over second base just beyond the baseman's reach, although he made a good run for it.
The center fielder secured the ball and returned it to second, but Hinkley had made a safe single off the very first ball delivered.
Harvard roared, while the Yale crowd was silent.
A great mob of freshmen was up from New Haven to see the game and watch Merriwell's work, and some of them immediately expressed disappointment and dismay.
"Here is where Merriwell meets his Waterloo," said Sport Harris.

"He'll be batted out before the game is fairly begun." That was quite enough to arouse Rattleton, who heard the remark.
"I'll bet you ten dollars he isn't batted out at all,"' spluttered Harry, fiercely.

"Here's my money, too!" "Make it twenty-five and I will go you," drawled Harris.
"All right, I'll make it twenty-five." The money was staked.
Derry, also a heavy hitter, was second on Harvard's list.