Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1910-08-13

positively irritatin. In the second,
likewise, neither side could make the
circuit.
I'VE got man to the first pillow the
next round on four wide ones. He
took second when the next up got
raped in the Stats with swift in
shoot. The next two were easy outs.
an then, for the first time. came to
bat
How that crowd begged an pleaded
for n single as | marched to the plate!
A hit then would have brought run
ner Monochrome to mother. not to men.
ton mother-in-law, cousins. aunts,
sweethearts an several thousand IA
natical fans waitin' to greet him with
outstretched arms-but l didn't single.
"As l stood there facin' the pitcher,
wonderin' If he could throw the ball
before threw spasm. | heard n va
riety Of remarks handed me by the at
tentive mob behind me.
"'Line 'er out. Skinny" Give US a
hit! roared the rooters Then a voice
piped up from the bleachers. OF King
Cole himself.
"'Say, pitcher, don't you dare hit
that man! You'll cut the ball In two
II you do" This little playful bon mot
pulled an awful laugh from the crowd,
but 1t 'queered' the king with me right
then an there.
"The pitcher grinned, wound up his
left wing an let 'er come. Honestly.
pal, when that ball was Just leavin'
him 1t looked as big as Hubbard
squash. When 1t Topped over the
plate couldn't have seen 1t with
pair Of opera glasses.
1.-THE next ball shot toward me. 1t
made out at first rs though 1t was
goin' to soak me In the solar plex
Then It changed its mind an cavorted
merrily across the middle Of the pan.
IL threw my bat at It. but didn't
even tickle It. Say. bo. on the level.
couldn't have stopped that ball with
screen door. You ought to have been
there just to hear what the crowd said
to me, with OIL King Cole leadin' the
anvil chorus himself.
II had tried twice now with my eyes
open: the next time thought l would
try with them shut. 1t worked better.
swung hard about the time the
pitcher began to unfold. an I con-
nected with what the crowd thought
best to term 'bunt' The ball wig
gled slowly Off toward third. an tip
toed In the general direction of first,
hopin' to get there while their third
baseman wasn't lookin' but he caught
me by city block.
$50 1t rocked along till the sixth. an
neither side had looped the loop. In
the sixth we had a bunch of trouble.
Little Duggan. who had been pitchin'
his very heart out an holdin' those
heavy sluggers so close they couldn't
draw long breath. got to first, an
in tryin' to steal second he slipped an
wrenched himself so that he had to
leave the game.
Another pitcher went in-or Spar
ticus himself!
"About that time their pitcher began
to be all in. too. an from then on 1t
was sluggers' battle right. They had
me chasin' around left field till my
tongue hung out foot an I'd quit
breathin' entirely.
ITO hurry on to the tragedy. They
came to bat in the first of the ninth
with the score 4 to In our IA
vor. 1t seemed all over but takin'
in the money. The rooters were happy
as larks, an Of King Cole-well, he
was just brimmin' over with ecstasy.
Their first two men went out on easy
infield hits. Then somethin' happened.
Sparticus blew up.
'"They jumped on him all Of sud
den an pounded him to the four cor
ners Of the lot. an when the smoke
Of battle had lifted somewhat the
bases were full.
"a groan Of agony went up from
the crowd when they saw the heaviest
batter on the visitin' team comm to
bat with grin of fiendish delight on
his face He smashed out the first
ball pitched. The great crowd swayed
an rose in despair as they followed
the course of the ball. Then they sank
back In their seats with sighs of soul
ful satisfaction. The ball would fall