Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-06-18

Rodgers, dismally, ''his folks are GO
ing to move great way off, and of
course, he's got to go with them. He's
just rs much cut-up about it as we
are"
They looked at each other with
blank, lengtheninS faces. They had
been working hard for three years to
win the county championship, and
had always been scored out of the
contest before the season was half
over. But this year the fortunes of
the Hillviews seemed to he on the
rise. They ha | played better, and
one by one had beaten all the clubs
except the WATERSHEDS; aud with this
crack, champion club of the county
their score was even. No wonder that
every Hillview heart thrilled at the
4th of August, and of possible vic
tory; and no wonder that there was
CONSERVATION and dismay on every
face when it was learned that their
only good pitcher was going to leave.
"Might rs well give up" grunted
Bill Grove, as he spitefully kicked n
stone from his path; "we can't do
anything without crack pitcher to
put up against Hopkins, of the Water.
sides;" and most of the members
agreed with him.
"Who is the best pitcher among
us?" asked Rodgers, feeling that his
position as captain demanded an ex-
ira effort to rally the club. "We want
hardhanded, quick-eyed fellow,
who can send in ball like thunder
bolt"
Bill grunted derisively.
"If you'll drop the hard handed
and thunderbolt," he said, 81 guess
maybe the club can furnish few
quick eyes. But what's the matter
with Snaggles? I've seen him split
an inch board with his fist"
Most of them laughed and glanced
at queer figure sitting on the fence,
few yards away. Snaggles had come
down from a remote part of the noun
tains a month or two before, and rs
yet had apparently been unable to
assimilate all the wonders around him,
for his mouth was continually open,
as though trying to grasp the flood of
new ideas that was surging toward
him. He was very tall and ungainly,
and very prone to make himself the
laughing-stock of whoever he came In
contact with; but he was gentle, oblig-
ing, and invariably goodnatured.
None OF the boys associated with him,
except occasionally as joke, and to
make him the butt of their ridicule.
The idea that he should be admitted
to the select membership of the Hill
view Baseball Club was something
that none of them had ever enter
tained.
"Now, wouldn't wonder if he was
just the man you want, Rodgers, "
Bill went on, sarcastically. ''He can
throw stone straighter than some OF
us can shoot. I've seen him knock a
squirrel off the top of a tree hun
dred feet high; and as for running -
gee whiz! once he gets them legs to
going, nothing short of n rifle ball can
catch him. And he would be a prime
al. We could have n baseball club
and circus all in one."
AS he expected, most of the boys
laughed again: only Jack Rodgers
seemed to take the banter seriously.
for sudden gleam came into his eyes
and he glanced across to where Snag-
giles was intently watching them.
II believe you've struck the nail on
the head this time, Bill, if you never
did BEFORE" he exclaimed, emphati
cally. "IfI'm not mistaken, Snaggles
is Just the man we want"
ooh, pshaw" Come, now" Sect
ont" "You're joking 'Why. he's
regular scarecrown' rose an indig
nant chorus on all sides.
Cant help it, fellows" Rodgers
said, sturdily, ''we're in tight place
We've worked for that champion ship
three years, and now that it's in sigh
it would he bad policy to let it slip
away. don't know a fellow who car
take Blake's place, unless it's Snag
giles"
But he don't know how" protested
| the disconnected Bill
"Im not so sure. He's been on
that fence watching us every practic,
day for the last six weeks. If he ha,
! never played. he must have a pretty