Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24

Cobb thing he would take-whether he
would lay that Cobb would or wouldn't
Immediately after Bush had struck out
a number of them leaned over to the
layer and asked him what he was offer
ing that Cobb wouldn't make a hit.
Don't just know whether l want any
of the Cobb stuff" the layer stalled in
response to these inquiries. Cobb is
Cobb, and while he mightn't, he general
ly does. think I'll wait till l get a little
line on what that fellow is going to do
in this series before l.
Just here the sharp-eyed chap broke of
and cooked his head to one side in
listening attitude. The bunch didn't no
tice that move particularly at first 1t
wasn't until later, when good many OF
to notice that the chap didn't lay his
odds until the very last minute.
well. I'll tell you," said the schemer
after listening a bit. and he talked hur-
riedly, 'Tn bet you fellows even money
that Cobb strikes out
You're onr' came from a dozen of
them, all in voice. and they wormed out
Of their chairs to chuck their bills at him.
It looked pretty soft Cobb isn't much on
striking out. They figured that they had
Cobb might fly out. or foul out. or get
tossed out; but strike out? 1t looked as If
that layer was making a monkey of him.
self. The odds-layer had taken in some
CHlIlS ike SCO OF tndC money De1OTe the
third "out' bulb glowed on the electric
board and the man on the platform sang
out. ''Tyrus he whitfield There was an
immense roar of delight from the rooters
for the Pirates on the pier. who were In
the majority, at the idea of the mighty
Cobb tanning his first time at the bat n
the championship series. The layer grin
ned in a wise kind Of way, and the fell
lows who had done their betting with
him against the proposition that Cobb
1t 80 IL
up looked very sheepish and surprised as
well.
Gee. this fellow is pretty good. isn't
he?" they said to each other speaking of
the layer. II thought was handing him
something on that bet Looked like
pipe he was in Dutch betting that Cobb
would Whit"
They were more surprised-most of
them were startled-when the layer went
right down the line. so to speak. through
out the game and called the turn every
time unfaiingly.
When Hans Wagner went to bat the first
time for the Pirates the rooters for the Pr
IA ties were keen to see what he was going to
offer as to that wonder-worker's perform
ance with the willow. AS usual. the layer
stalled for a spell before offering anything
either one way Or the other to what
Wagner would do, but. atop Of his STALL
Ing and his cooking his head to one side
In that queer. listening attitude, he sud-
denly announced that he was there with
even money that Wagner wouldn't make
hit
What are you offering that he'll strike
out?' the bunch demanded eagerly. for
Honus had been at the bat for quite
spell already and they wanted some more
Of the same kind of odds that had been
offered that Cobb would strike out his
first time up.
Well. / said that I'm laying that wag-
ner doesn't make hit. but you can have
even money that he strikes out If YOU
want it," said the crafty one. and they
hurled their currency at him. buster than
Struck out" bulb showed that the phe-
| nomenal German had taken three healthy
punches at the circumambient and
slouched back to the scuttlebutt for a gulp
OF water.
Gosh. isn't that good. thought was
| the exclamation around the layer then.
The layer grinned sagely again and num-
bied something about taking a chance.
bling was bit unconvncing to a number
| OF the bettors. who had been stunp on
| every wager they'd made with him. no
| matter how fine the bet looked at the in
| slant OF making.
No suspicion as to what was coming off
! however. developed until that first game
| was pretty near its finish BY that time
| the uncanny ability Of the keen-eyed chan
10 car every turn began to look like.
| something a little more easily explained
| than mere uncanniness. He hadn't fallen
down on bet. He had yanked down
| more than thousand dollars bv having
| the right end Of every wager he made
| with the bunch. And. on the way from
| the pier after the game was over a good
| many OF them We're shaking their heads
over the thing and asking each other just
where the "nigger In the woodpile" could
| be. 1t is singular that none of them
thought about the chirping of the tele-
graph key on that first day. 1t wasn't
until the second day that they put two
and two together and watched the layers
actions, and became convinced that the
clicking OF the key accounted for the fell
| lows otherwise inexplica BILE ability to
| foretell everything that was coming off
| on the championship diamond.
Now, 1t was by his hog-it-all method Of
| winning every wager that this chap In
dictated his possession Of thick streak.
II he had let h 8 group of bettors get
| away with bet occasionally there is no
| telling how much he would have won. He
| could easily have strung the thing along,
| winning the majority Of his bets, without
exciting the least suspicion. But he over
| played his little game. and lot of the
| stung ones, after a nights sleep on their
| little betting experience. were on the
watch for what would come off on the
second day.
| The oddsmaker was in the same chair
on the second day. There were a lot of
fellows around him who hadn't been
there on the day before. and for the drst