The Portland daily press., 1895-08-03

WioH LIS HorHy unRerS, Iii Dot the Ice
cream all round that can strike out any
one of you" There was hitherto un-
known gleam in his eye and strange
tirmness even ferceness in his voice.
The offered wager was, of course, ac-
cepted, and the catcher of.the club, the
surest batter of them all, selected his fav-
orite bat and took his position. I wish
L could adequately describe Turks man
ner of delivery. My readers Cat least all
boy readers) must know that every pitch
ment when delivering the ball. Some
turn their backs to the batter and make a
reflective survey of the distant landscape,
then suddenly wheel about and throw
with the qulekness of thought. Some lift
one right leg, som the left; some make
the arm around above the head before
throwing. Nearly all of these movements
are more or less graceful, none exceed
ingly SO. But Turk was not graceful
He made clumsy jump of few inches
from the ground, and when he alighted,
with stamp like an angry buck, appar-
emily tied himself into knot, and from
somewhere in the midst of chaos of
swinging arms and legs the ball shot
forth, fairly buzzing with the speed of it's
flight and the velocity of its twirling.
He pitched just three times to the
catcher, and each time the bat was
swung tiercely and confidently, and each
time that whirling. curving, deceitful
ball flew under or over or around the end
of it, and Turk had won
! Even the onlookers generally considered
it matter of luck. But when the other
three batters had been struck out in sue
cession after each had wagered treat
of some kind with the victorious Turk, it
began to be generally acknowledged that
he had some control of the ball after all,
and that when he intended that the ball
should drop or rise or sweep out or shoot
out or sweep in, at a certain point in the
atmosphere in front of the batter, it dis
played an obedience as wonderful as the
gyrations that created it and directed its
flight.
statement that evening to the manager Of
the club that he would become the pit
cher of the college team before he should
graduate, and when this became gener-
ally known among the Students there
was a scoff of dissent. Even if he could
do something while in practice, as he
had done that afternoon, he would infal-
liby lose his head in real action-in a
game the result of which might determine
the championship.
And therefore, because of the prejudice
against him and because he belonged
to no college society, to enforce his claims,
he was given no opportunity to test him
sef in real college battle.
But still he continued to practice fol
the love of it, as well as because of the
ambition he cherished. But his junior
year brought no recognition, and it was
not until the last year of the college course
that his persistence was rewarded and he
was installed to don the blue jersey uniform
and gaze with delight at the college let.
ters upon his broad breast. It was the
badge of the legion of honor to Turk.
The regular pitcher was i'll. There was
nobody else but Turk who could be at all
effective in the important game with the
strongest of the rival colleges. 1t was a
trying ordeal for him when he stepped
into the pitchers box and the umpire
shouted time, y" for, besides his inexpe-
rience, there was the Encouragement that
comes when the confidence of others is
wanting.
But no hero of history ever fought his
fight more gallantly Or more successfully
than Turk. Those years of practice dis
played their inestimable value There
was no such thing as fatigue for Turk S
hardened muscles, and to curve the ball
where he wished was almost like saying
the alphabet.
The opposing batters were completely
at his mercy, for, besides his really supe-
rior speed and curves, his peculiar man
ner of delivery. the like of which they
had never seen before, puzzled them not
only but frightented them. There was
something almost savage in his contor-
tions. They could not make even guess
as to which curve he was about to throw
and how to dodge the rushing ball, if
necessary, or how to know when it was
necessary was a mystery.
They need not have worried about it,
Turk would not have struck them. But
he appeared more like an irresponsible
madman than a pitcher. They immme-
diately styled him ''the wild man from the
backwooods, and declared if they struck
the ball at all it was only by accident
And SO the victory was won and the
credit of it unquestionably belonged to
Turk. And at last his companions al
lowed the prejudices to disappear in "a
flood of enthusiasm, and Turk, the awk-
ward, the ridiculous Turk, was borne
from the field on their shoulders and car
ried with the glory of immortal applause
There were tears in his eyes as he said,
in his deprecating way, in the midst of
the crowding students, all eager to shake
his hand and declare their admiration and
gratitude for the victory he had won for
them ALL '' I knew could do it boys if