Morris tribune., 1910-09-23

wise.
'Then the other team went out to
warm up. They hadn't been on the
diamond more'n a minute until / de-
cided they didn't need any warmin'
they were just about the warmest /
ever saw already. The way they threw
that ball around the bases, stopped siz-
Zlin' liners on the ground, in the air,
any OF place, was somethin' scan'lous!
! couldn't see where we had a look
in an ventured to say as much to
our cap'n, old Sparticus.
"'You jes' wait till Red Duggan,
our pitcher, gets to shootin' 'em overv
he said. They won't show up quite so
frisky then
WELL l says, that may be, but if
them guineas can bat the way they
field you'll have to send me out a
horse to chase the balls
"'You leave that to Red was his
come back.
"'Aye, aye, cap'n,' said calmly, try
in hard to fight off the nervous chill
I felt comm on, 'Pll leave it to Red
But would gladly have turned over
all that was left of that five spot to
have been seventy-fve miles from
Kansas at that very minute"
Here my companion paused in his
narrative and leaned over toward me,
as though to ascertain whether | was
still listening or asleep. For my part,
however, l was becoming more and
more absorbed in his recital as he pro-
gressed, of which fact | earnestly as
sured him, and he stratghtway re-
sumed.
''The game started. For downright
intensity of feelin' an noise an riot
never saw anythin' before or since that
could touch that Kansas crowd when
his jumps waddled out to homeplate
an piped out: PLAY ba-allv
'The yell that was turned loose then
seemed to jar that yellow streak clean
out Of my system. felt that I wanted
to do somethin' grand an noble. I felt
that it would be real pleasure to die
for the cause-but l didn't know the
pleasure was so near at hand!
81 looked around over the crowd to
find the nice, fat gentleman who had
brought me out to the grounds in his
bubble wagon. l thought he would be
up in the big pagoda with the swells,
but he wasn't there. Finally located
him-he was out on the bleachers with
his coat an collar off an moppin' his
shiny bald head with his handkerchief,
for the sun was blazin' hot.
"He was the happiest man on the
grounds. He had a smile on that
reached way around back of his ears,
an he was shoutin' louder than any
body. which was goin' some He GER
tainly was the kingpin of that whole
bleacher push. I noticed the others all
sOrter looked up to him an seemed to
regard him as the whole works. |
heard some one call him colonel, Col |
onel Cole. an as l saw him sittin' !
there so fat an jolly. the old rime |
came to my mind:
"Or King Cole
Was a merry OF soul! !
"He sure looked the part, an from !
then on l called him-tO myself, Of !
course-oP King Cole. l mention all !
this to you now for this king person
took a very active part in the events
soon to follow.
"Well. as l say. the game began.
The visitin' team went in to bat. We
took the field You could have heard a
pin drop now throughout the whole
pagoda. Red Duggan was on the rub
Der. He shot one over an it struck
the catchers mitt with heavy thud.
"'Str-ike onep piped the jumps.
ga mighty yell arose from the home
crowd-the vtsitin' rooters were dumb.
Their holler came a moment later
when the batter landed on the next
ball pitched an smashed out a three
bagger.
''The friends an relatives an f1nan-
cial hackers of the visitin' team, indi-
Vidually an collectively, threw a fit.
They yelled like a band of Flathead
Indians in Utah conversin' with a
stray gatherin' Of Kickapoos some
where up in Idaho.
'"Then another slugger did a pity
pat to the plate. The runner on third
was leadin' far off, fairly itchin' for
4 chance to sneak in home. From the
Oleachers came a pleadin' voice. high
an clear, above all the noise an din.
It was the voice Of OF King Cole.
Steady. ladr he was sayin'. Steady
now, boy! Hold 'em, Red, hold 'em!
We know you can do it, son.!
"The pitcher kept his eye on the run
Ter as he ground the ball into his hip;
hen he turned an shot it in. The ball
lew high an wide. The next two
1ings were even worse. That jumpin,
wistin'. DARN form on third was wor-
yin Red Duggan. Then came the
7oice from the bleachers again:
"'Don't mind him. lad! Play for
he batter: workin' nice. son! You
an do it. ladr
''Three balls for the batter an no
strikes. The next cuts the plate-he
cts it go by. He strikes hard at the
lext, an the next.
"'Batter outv roars his jumps.