He went after the very first one, and got it Crack! and away the ball flew again into the right field, while the Hartford lads opened up with great vigor.
It was a hit, for everybody saw that Dismal, even though he was doing his best, could not possibly get it.

Barrows raced to first, while Tillinghast, the base-runner, took second, without trouble, but stumbled and fell, so that it was impossible for him to make another bag on the hit.
Badger next tried his highest speed, and the batter fanned, but Ready dropped and fumbled the ball, being unable to hold it, and came very near letting both runners advance, although he did get the sphere down to third in time to drive them back.
Watching closely, Frank had discovered that something about Badger's delivery bothered Ready.

Badger himself saw this, and he tried a change of pace, but the batter caught it on the handle of his "wagon-tongue," and drove out a "scratch hit" that filled the bases.
Oleson, a Swede, almost as large as Browning, came up to the plate.
"And there were giants in those days," droned Jones, from his position in the field.
"How's that for the giant ?" cried Oleson, as he slashed yet another down into Dismal's territory, bringing in the first score and causing the Hartford rooters to "open up." Jones made a beautiful throw home, which sent Barrows scrambling back to third, which he reached barely in time to save himself, for Ready had lined it down to that bag in short order.
Frank was beginning to wonder if all the Hartford men were right-field hitters, or was there something in Badger's pitching that caused them to put the balls into that field?
Unable to keep still, he walked down toward first, and Browning found an opportunity to say: "We ought to have Hodge behind the bat.

Badger can't use his speed, for Ready can't hold him.

Are you going to let those fellows lose this game in the first inning, Merriwell?
If you do, I'll kick myself for a week for being chump enough to get out here and swear for nothing." "It's a handicap not to have Hodge," admitted Frank.
Browning felt like saying it was a handicap not to have Frank in the box, but, fancying he had said enough in that line, he kept still.
Badger's face took on a hard look.