The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-03-25
4 Cowboy Taught Players q
New Trick in Baseball. !,
UMPIRE INA VERY BAD FIX
WIN Western Recruit Turned ih, Game 10
Favor Of Ills Friends aia
Critical Time.

foot Lilies remarked. rather doubtfully
shut they're hard 10 tame, very hard 10
tame. Now there was Tanglefoot Tom
good fielder, strong thrower sure hitter.
but-whats You've never heard OF
Tanelefoot Tomg Well. well, perhaps he
WAS before your time.
1T was the day before one OF our
championship contests with the Ringtsil
Roarers, he said to New York Sun re-
porter. We were sitting around the post
oface table discussing our prospects for
the morrow with faces the length OF
plumbers bills.
captain Slugger Burrows had just
broken II 10 us gently that Sammie Sal
mon was laid up I'm bed with ptomaine
poisoning, thereby making US one man
short In the outheld.
Nov. as you probably know, the Ring
tail Roarers gave nine men all they could
handle. while as for tackling them with
only eight. II was as IL Jonah had tried
10 swallow the whale.
while we were at the most heartrend-
ing point OF out sad conversation we were
suddenly interrupted by Il violent crash
at the postofice door. Biff bang. and
in clanked the widest. woollest looking
GazabO YOU ever clapped your lockers on.
brows, barbed wire mustachios. revol-
vered belt and spurs on his boots that
would penetrate the most inward
thoughts OF the heartiest horse lie was
a cowboy for keeps. and. what's more
one of the kind that you'd want on your
sloe ~hen t,ie rough-house starts.
'Weil.' be growled. after he had look
ed the boys over thoroughly. who's run
ming this here joint? want two bits
wuih of yer best chewin' fine tnt pre-
ferred'
,''captain Slugger Burrows-he had
charge OF the postoffice In those days
hastened behind the counter to weigh the
tobacco.
FOUND THE TOWN DULL.
Say. strangers. said the latter after
he had slowed away one-half OF his pur-
chase In his cheek and the other half in
his hip pocket. isn't thar any excitement
doin' round these parts? The town seems
dixie it's sorter waitin fur the coroner
'''Umph. the slugger grunted. indig-
uantiy. II you hang around here until
tomorrow j guess youll find there's life
1n this burg Ringtafl Hoarers versus the
Lightfoot Lilies at Lily park for the
baseball championship OF Jones county
That's what's doing here. my young
friend
- Baseball pardner? Wal. that means
that Tanglefoot Tom plants his stakes
right whar he is. Why. dye know. pard-
ner. that out I'm Dakota territory I'm con-
sidered the durn~est finest ball tosser
that ever swcng an umpire? Here ! be
and here | stay
with that he drew up box and slung
his feet on the table like the rest of us.
You play BALI asked the slugger
eagerly. Do you mean Il? Put II here,
any friend: put IL here
The captain at once began 10 explain
our crippled condition, and said that III
the newcomer would only consent TO fiill
in the outield he could have everything
in the town that he wanted and take
what he didn't want home to his friends.
VIII Tanglefoot Tom play In the out
Held? Ask me. Nothin' else
Next day, when the gang saw Tangle-
foot Tom swagger out on the field they
thought IL was some West show gone
wild. He was armed TO the teeth.
I'm addition TO the guns and knife
which he carried the day before, he now
sported n lasso, coied gracefully at his
belt. But say. just as soon as the play
got well started Tanglefoot had the
crowd filled with admiration.
Even old Doe Quackenbush. as impair
tfai an umpire a 3 ever called a strike so
far forgot the dignity OF his position as
10 join IN the wild cheering at some OF
the cowboys marvellous plays.
TANGLEFooT TON SCARED THEM
1T was in the last half OF the sixteenth
that Tanglefoot Tom went wild II he
hadn't we wouldn't have won. / suppose
hut he certainly gave us an awful scare
IL happened like this. The score WAS 27--
%, the bases were full, two were out and
Bull Thompson was at the bat. Tangle-
foot was dancing of third base In a
reckless sort OF way, when suddenly Cy
A.
over I'm an effort To catch him mapping
~Tangiefoot slid back 60 the bag in
safety but he seemed riled at the very
idea that any one should try TO put him
out. He jumped TO his feet and shook his
fist threateningly at the pitcher
4" Ono. he roared. You would try 10
catch me out. would you? Jest throw
that ball over here again, you horse
stealing coyote. you. dare you to
throw itH
NOW Cy Priest was no stenographer:
,po man could dictate 60 him lie had
just swung him arm back 20 throw again
when 10 our horror TanglefoOt suddenly
whipped out one of his guns and covered
him The suspense was terrible. Then.
a. the ball left his hand there was a
fash. followed by a loud report
WAS cy kilisu?' we asked each other.
TO our surprise and relief there he still
stood: slightly paler. perhaps. bat In the
same position a. before and with the ball
10 his right hand ready 60 throw again.
The only explanation OF the matter was
small round huliet-hOie In the ball
Owe could scarcely believe our eyes.
Again Cy Priest threw the ball. again
there was loud report. and again ~
found himself holding The ball In his
rlsht hand. 1'his time there were two
bullet holes In A..
They kept st Il. When Tsngiefoot had
emptied one gun he smmediately opened
nrc with the other. ~ktle,en shots were
Hred and then cane me climax A. Cy
Prieet swung his arm back preparatory
20 his twelfth attempt the silence was
oWfil.
BALL WAS DEMOLISHED.
Then came a sudden swish and-hang'
insanity the air was filled with nyins
pieces OF wooden STRING aud bits Of rubbeT
and h0rsebide. And from somewhere ou'
of ali this twelve leaden pills fcu and
s.atsercc cheeuly upon the ground. Gen.
sIsmen. the unforeseen had happened, ths
Ball had bust.
sAs roon ss the crowd had recovered
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