The Washington times., 1905-06-11


counter" says Jim Harrison.
Great Lunch Hooks.
You bet" says Jordan He was right
on the job at these railway lunch
rooms. He cd reach enough in two
minutes to keep the hull gang of US busy
till the next station"
He had n cinch base runnin'," says
L II he cd stand on second an reach
to third they couldn't put him out for
bein' off the bag"
Oh, that trick was barred" says
Jordan But he soon rfgsed one up to
beat 1t. They made It rule that he'd
have to touch the bags with his feet.
To git around that he'd put his foot on
the bag he was leavin' and stretch his
arm to the next one. Then he'd lift his
root of the ground, and the snappin
back of mis- arm would sail him through
the air plump on to the bag he wanted -
By this time the tired looks in that
little circle was all Alfalfas. 1 sejested
that I'd have to be shown before l be-
ifeyed anything like that
Il knowed you'd doubt it, says Jor-
dan. but L can't help that Our short
stop went up in the volcano, an amt
been seen since. There was a terrible
smell O. burning rubber directly after
the eruption. l guess that proves wot
l say"
They wasn't any smell o. burning
leather ofr'n the hands O. that Class 1
ketcher, was they?" says l. "Thatd
prove your story bettern ever
THAT subjects too painful for jokes"
says Jordan. with reprov1n' look.
wen think OF that ketcher, my heart
is punctured with grief
Real Thing Fogs.
That was enough story-tellin' for one
night. The next day we went out for
morning practice, and when Jordan
Guffey got his ball clothes on we seen
he had small tea bell sewed onto
the left knee OF his trousers. He didn't
seem to think it anything unusual. an
when Jim Harrison asked him wot the
tinker was for he threw up his hands
and his face expressed undisguised Won
der.
Land sake. says he Didn't you
ever see them? But forgot This Is
Kansas. an not Arcturus county Ar
kansaw. P'haps you don't have fogs
here7'
We said we did, sometimes Likewise,
we had people that talked foggy. some
times.
He didn't git mad. but explained that
back in the Ail-Star Circuit they Were
troubled with heavy fogs about six
days a week. an. the outfielders all
wore bells SOS they wouldn't have col
lisions.
They have had fogs IN Arcturus
county that stopped the games.'' ex-
We gently play right through. How
ever. a funny thing happened a month
or SO ago. The Sirtuses an Marses was
piayin' a game when a fog bank settled
down right back o. second base. The
Marses was heavy hitters, but we had
EN- skinned. for all their hard drives
would just bang into that fog bank an
bounce back into the outstretched hand
walk that night
How was that?" says Pinch
"Oh, the fog had Got so durn dense by
the ninth innin' that I couldn't get
through to the home plate when the
miles out OF my way to git around It.
With that he got a knife an stripped 1t
off'n his pants leg.
Mighty Swift Talk.
Wow. That was swift talk. 1 could
feel tho laurels Of the Corndroppers'
League slipping away. felt that some
thing very unusual must happen that
afternoon or we wouldn't dare hold up
our heads in the presence OF Jordan Guf-
fey and say a word for good old Alfalfa
and Kansas.
Jordan Guffey was q good outflelder-
fast, a strong thrower, and he handled
himself cleverly at the bat Still. we
could see no reason why he sh.d have
bells on himself. even If Arcturus Coun-
ty was foggy. Sam Merritt. our center
fielder. was every bit as good a fielder.
and a better hitter.
There wasn't anything unusual to the
game that afternoon. till the ninth in
ming. We were playin' the Cloverdales.
and they had us two runs. to s, when
the last half Of the ninth began.
We started In to win the game right
on the jump. Merritt drove out beauty
for single. and went to third on Pete
Browns wallop to right for another.
Pinch got four bad balls. end that
filed the bags. 1t brought Jordan Cuff
fey UP. an put me next. We both got
bats. an prepared to clinch the game
Two runs would tie. three would win.
/ dunno what cracked first, but 81
multaneous with the crack Of Jordan's
bat, that sent drive far In the air over
the leftfielder's head. there came a most
terrific shaking Of the earth underneath
the Alfalfa ball grounds The outfield
seemed to roll in like green waves beat
In agin a rock-bound coast Pinch
Hobbs had started I'm first with the
crack O Jordan's bat, wen he was
thrown yt'lent1y against the first base
man by the base line raisin' up and tos-
sin him TO one side, an they both went
down an out
Earthquake Swallowed Bag.
Jordan WIS patterin' for first. an was
within yard O. the bag wen big wave
I'm right field rolled in an swallowed up
the bag. He touched the ground where
1t had been, an turned for second
Out for not touchin' first basel" yeIls
the empire. who was ON his hands an
knees back o. the pitchers box, holdin'
on to the grass to keep I'm bein' toIted
over the grandstand.
The hull ball ground was tippin' to-
ward us at the home plate now. Josh
Hapgood alone held his nerve He knew
We wanted three runs to win
Never mindi' he yelled TO Jordan.