The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-01-26
HYPNOTIC HESTOR.
CURVELESS WONDER

l see French surgeons are using 1t
instead of chloroform and ether.
It's great business. 1t once won a
pennant for me.
Back in 80, when l managed the
Lalapaloozas in the Squawk Eye
league, / thought l was some pump
kins, because l had taken an aggre-
CATION of NUTS that had never won
anything but the consolation prize
in a pinoche league and pushed
them into second place before Au-
gust.
Il wanted the lead and, although
we kept close to first placefl we
weren't able to close with them.
They were going as fast as we
were, so couldn't see how we were
to cop the flag.
But in September the tail enders
fell onto the leaders for four
straight, and we wiped up the team
we played for four games, which
brought us within 10 points of first
place. We had a series to play
four games-with the leaders at
home, and hoped to take the three
games necessary to cop, but we
were not any too confident.
Getting down to brass tacks, we
won the first and third games, los
ing the second. and the town was
dippy. If we won the last game we
took the flag by II points. If we
lost we lost it by one point. You
can imagine the situation.
when | went to dinner that day
] thought of nothing but the game.
There was stranger at my table,
but thought nothing of it, because
the town was full of outsiders. But
! discovered he had taken the seat
with purpose.
"Mr. Lowrey, l believe he said,
after l gave my order. ! admitted
the truth and glanced at him, look
ing into the blacklist, most piercing
eyes l had ever seen. 1t made me
SILVER to look at him. I understand
you have not won series from this
team this year. he continued, and
have little hope OF. taking today's
game | denied this and asserted |
was confident of winning, but he
laughed derisively.
Now, see here, Lowrey, he
said, i know better. You can't beat
them with loaded dice, because
they're going to pitch McCloskey
and you never have defeated him.
This was true. Now, I'm some
thing of a pitcher myself he said
after a pause, and if you are will
ing to spend some money I'll beat
this mob to death / didn't know
then why paid any attention to
him, but when he looked at me |
was positive he could do as he
promised, so when he suggested
: that we adjourn to the ball ground
to let him prove his ability,
agreed.
Il took Pink Lawson along to
catch and ] went to the plate with
a bat, to see what the fellow had.
He shot a couple over and | swung
on one that came up big, but
missed it a mile. l tried again
with the same result The ball
always seemed as big as a bal
loon, but it was as hard to locate as
a hick spieler's pea. | was puzzled,
so | changed places with Pink and
he had as much success as |. The
ball came up straight and without
enough steam to dent pasteboard.
You'd think Pink would lam it a
mile. but instead he missed it a
foot. Some of the other boys had
drifted in and they tried it on, with
the same result Not a man touched
the ball and finally agreed to give
the stranger 800 if he won tbs
game.
THE town suspended business
that afternoon and went to the
grounds. The treasurer took the
money away in a dry and locked
the gates before the game started
Excitement was at fever pitch ant
il was some time before the fac
that our picher was Stranger be
com known the crowd, by which
time he had more than made good
at would have done you good Il
see that big chap work. He wa
long and lean, with black hair tina
had not been introduced to a barbe
for there months, and when bat
ter walked to the plate he'd leal
forward and look at him for min
ute and then lob the ball to Pink
He didn't waste time, but pushet
me pill right over the heart of thu
pan. They tried, but didn't connec
and the umpire's 'one strike tive
strikes three Strikes became
monotonous. AS inning after inning
passed without a hit the crow,
grew hilarious. We had made
run in the first and the gam
looked safe. And 1t was. Witt
black hair waving and his eye
glittering the big fellow toye'
with the batters. In the ninth h