第40章 THE WINNING BALL(4)

Once Snead stooped down to trap the ``rabbit,''

and it slipped through his legs, for which his comrades jeered him unmercifully.Then a brawny batter sent up a tremendously high fly between short and third.

``You take it!'' yelled Gillinger to Bane.

``You take it!'' replied the Crab, and actually walked backward.That ball went a mile high.

The sky was hazy, gray, the most perplexing in which to judge a fly ball.An ordinary fly gave trouble enough in the gauging.

Gillinger wandered around under the ball for what seemed an age.It dropped as swiftly as a rocket shoots upward.Gillinger went forward in a circle, then sidestepped, and threw up his broad hands.He misjudged the ball, and it hit him fairly on the head and bounced almost to where Doran stood at second.

Our big captain wilted.Time was called.But Gillinger, when he came to, refused to leave the game and went back to third with a lump on his head as large as a goose egg.

Every one of his teammates was sorry, yet every one howled in glee.To be hit on the head was the unpardonable sin for a professional.

Old man Hathaway gradually lost what little speed he had, and with it his nerve.Every time he pitched the ``rabbit'' he dodged.That was about the funniest and strangest thing ever seen on a ball field.Yet it had an element of tragedy.

Hathaway's expert contortions saved his head and body on divers occasions, but presently a low bounder glanced off the grass and manifested an affinity for his leg.

We all knew from the crack and the way the pitcher went down that the ``rabbit'' had put him out of the game.The umpire called time, and Merritt came running on the diamond.

``Hard luck, old man,'' said the manager.

``That'll make a green and yellow spot all right.

Boys, we're still two runs to the good.There's one out, an' we can win yet.Deerfoot, you're as badly crippled as Hathaway.The bench for yours.Hooker will go to center, an' I'll pitch.''

Merritt's idea did not strike us as a bad one.

He could pitch, and he always kept his arm in prime condition.We welcomed him into the fray for two reasons--because he might win the game, and because he might be overtaken by the baseball Nemesis.

While Merritt was putting on Hathaway's baseball shoes, some of us endeavored to get the ``rabbit''

away from the umpire, but he was too wise.

Merritt received the innocent-looking ball with a look of mingled disgust and fear, and he summarily ordered us to our positions.

Not far had we gone, however, when we were electrified by the umpire's sharp words:

``Naw! Naw, you don't.I saw you change the ball I gave you fer one in your pocket! Naw!

You don't come enny of your American dodges on us! Gimmee thet ball, an' you use the other, or I'll stop the game.''

Wherewith the shrewd umpire took the ball from Merritt's hand and fished the ``rabbit'' from his pocket.Our thwarted manager stuttered his wrath.``Y-you be-be-wh-whiskered y-yap! I'll g-g-give----''

What dire threat he had in mind never materialized, for he became speechless.He glowered upon the cool little umpire, and then turned grandly toward the plate.

It may have been imagination, yet I made sure Merritt seemed to shrink and grow smaller before he pitched a ball.For one thing the plate was uphill from the pitcher's box, and then the fellow standing there loomed up like a hill and swung a bat that would have served as a wagon tongue.

No wonder Merritt evinced nervousness.Presently he whirled and delivered the ball.

Bing!

A dark streak and a white puff of dust over second base showed how safe that hit was.By dint of manful body work, Hooker contrived to stop the ``rabbit'' in mid-center.Another run scored.Human nature was proof against this temptation, and Merritt's players tendered him manifold congratulations and dissertations.

``Grand, you old skinflint, grand!''

``There was a two-dollar bill stickin' on thet hit.Why didn't you stop it?''

``Say, Merritt, what little brains you've got will presently be ridin' on the `rabbit.' ''

``You will chase up these exhibition games!''

``Take your medicine now.Ha! Ha! Ha!''

After these merciless taunts, and particularly after the next slashing hit that tied the score, Merritt looked appreciably smaller and humbler.

He threw up another ball, and actually shied as it neared the plate.

The giant who was waiting to slug it evidently thought better of his eagerness as far as that pitch was concerned, for he let it go by.

Merritt got the next ball higher.With a mighty swing, the batsman hit a terrific liner right at the pitcher.

Quick as lightning, Merritt wheeled, and the ball struck him with the sound of two boards brought heavily together with a smack.

Merritt did not fall; he melted to the ground and writhed while the runners scored with more tallies than they needed to win.

What did we care! Justice had been done us, and we were unutterably happy.Crabe Bane stood on his head; Gillinger began a war dance;old man Hathaway hobbled out to the side lines and whooped like an Indian; Snead rolled over and over in the grass.All of us broke out into typical expressions of baseball frenzy, and individual ones illustrating our particular moods.

Merritt got up and made a dive for the ball.

With face positively flaming he flung it far beyond the merry crowd, over into a swamp.Then he limped for the bench.Which throw ended the most memorable game ever recorded to the credit of the ``rabbit.''