The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-16

in my hand l found there were two outs, and the batter had two strikes and three balls marked against him.
 How had this game been played. It was all a blank to me. l tumbled pretty quick. however, to the fact that t MAS the home team at the bat, for the hoa. SC roofing could have made a deaf man un- derstand. How much depended on the next ball. The players were looking at me queerly and l knew something had to be done. Pulling myself together l said, Come on now. play the game
 The pitcher stepped into the box, wound up and turned the ball loose Straight over the plate, but not all the way, for the bat met it squarely. Holy smoke. but that ball travelled Straight down the third base line, sailing close to the ground, then gradually rising higher and higher and passing over the fence. 1 ran after the ball. keeping one eye on 1t and the other on the foul line while the runners circled the bases. That ball fol- lowed the foul line straight as an arrow, never varying a quarter of an inch. It disappeared still splitting the line.
 'I made up my mind as to what 1t was. By this time hats weree flying up in the air while the spectators were jumping up and down. throwing their arms around each other and raising particular bedlam. It was shame to ruin their joy but it had to be done. Waving my arms and yelling at the top of my voice. I ran back 10 the home plate. The crowd seeing my frantic waving, hushed their racket to hear what I had to say. As soon as ev- erythlng was quietA yell, foul ball
 "The outburst that followed this deci- sion of mine eclipsed the eruption of Mt Vesuvius. Each person became a raging lion I can never forget the look that overspread their faces. It was enough for mel understood One fellow yelled pull his rotten head off, but I had read his thoughts before the words were ut tered, and turning, made for the far fence like streak of lightning How that crowd came after me. They tum- bled over the dividing fence by the thou sands and came after me like a cyclone "But I was making for other parts. reached the fence and although 1t was fully twenty feet high, l sailed over 1t like bird. This wonderful jump was tho thing that really left me able to tell this tale. but the crowd was travelling some itself. l sped on, climbing Q huge slag pile which arose Just beyond the fence. As l reached the top I glanced back and can swear there were a million people coming over the fence after me.
 Down the slag pile I flew with the crowd gradually closing in on me I made one. great squirt, then slipped and went falling over the side of the manu- factured mountain. Ugh l was drop ping. I thrashed about in the air with legs and arms, but it was too late. Down, down. down. I saw something jutting out from the side of the mountain below me. Then my head passed it, but my feet caught it and checked my downward course. Then
 My head hit something and I opened my eyes. There I was swinging by my toes on one of the Ventilators at the top of the car. while my body was swaying about, causing my head to hit the side of the seats I caught the handle to one of the seats and let my feet drop to the floor I stood up. The car was nov ing, but my two fans were gone.