The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-09-24


1t was. with feelings of trepidation.
as the novelists say, that undone that
long bundle. When the last wrapping
was peeled off there was life size bat.
1t was made out of some heavy. dark
colored wood
1t didn't swell In the middle Just to
my liking, but it seemed to have a good
balance for all Of that. When l swung
it there came tingiing sensation that
shot up my arms and stirred the very
roots of my hair. as the novelists say.
] never felt stronger-not even in the
brave days when / was twenty-one and
smashing batting records every week.
| swung from the shoulder and
chopped from the wrist and practiced
all the other batting moves | know to
the imminent danger Of the gold plated
chandeliers in that bridal SCOT. and the
more | swung the club the better
liked. it and the stronger grew my sense
Of power.
1t don't seem quite modest to set
down ali the batting feats done in the
game that day, but this is a veracious
record of unimpeachable fact, as l once
heard a stump speaker say, and the
details have got to go with the general
outline of the plot. Out Of FIVE times
up hit for Il single and two bagger
and lifted three home runs over the
fence. the last one going through the
window of a brewery two blocks from
the grounds and nearly knocking one
of our solid Dutch citizens into beer
vat he was grooming.
The sporting writer's didn't whisper
to each other and jOt down hints about
my being a has been without come
back attachment Instead, they just
stood up and whooped with the rest
of the wild. crazy crowd. l was car.
ried off the grounds to the hotel auto
by an admiring delegation of fans from
our home city and even made Il seven
word speech from the steps of the bus
but through it all / clutched that
magic oriental bat with a death grip.
The fear of losing that bat was
| strong upon me. as the noveiists say.
My batting average got better and bet
!
| at such terrific pace. -.
| The care | lavished on Dinjir Meb's
bat didn't escape the attention of the
newspaper man in the press box Moth
ing ever does. They wrote all kinds
of fancy stories about that bat-every
kind but the right kind. | hired n
plain boy at fancy salary to do moth
ing but grab that bat, after had
thrown it down. and guard it till had
come back from the base lines.
He had strict orders not to let it go
out of his hands when was playing
in the field. | was peevish about let
| ting the other players SO much as heft
the bat, and come near losing some
friendships of long standing on that
account.
1t was getting well toward the close
Of the race, with our team holding the
lead by an eyelash. There were only
tlffee more games to play, and the club
management was looking to me to pull
them out of the fire. for our pitchers
wasn't going any too well, and it was
only by free hitting that we could hope
to win Then came the demand had
been dreading. 1t was just Il note. In
strange scrawi, handed in by Il bell
boy. 1t said:
Please give bearer Dinjir Meb's bat.
"The note was give to me by dark
skinned man with blue goggles. and ht
said he'd wait in the reception parlor.
said the boy in answer to my demand
l rushed down to the parlor, bu
there was nobody there.
But along about o'clock, just be
fore | was starting for the baseball
grounds to begin the final and decidin,
series of three games with our neares
contenders. along comes another note
banded in by another bellboy: 1t read
Dinjir Meb will take his bat this after
noon, since Sahib Murphy will not sur
render it willingly.
i clung to that bat with feverisl
grip all the way to the park.
Il gave my private bat guardian spe
cial instructions about grabbing til
stick as soon as had thrown it dow
after making hit Then | ,bribed
special policeman to keep an eye u
the boy Even then didn't feel safe.
Dinjir Meb's bat never did any great
cr execution than on that day. 1t ha
} the long distance hits Caroming off tn
outfieH fences, and up to the ninth ii
; ming had driven IN seven runs an
, Ind the game practically cinched. /
| fcf
.. center. | knew could just stretch
/ into four bases by hard running.
t 1t was all matter of machine-lii
3 calculation with me- | counted ever
step and knew must be two second
ahead Of the ball when jumped int
! the ten foot slide at the finish. AS
slid and heard the umpire call Safe!
i, | glanced toward the players bench
: see what had become of Dinjir Meb
i bat
My bat boy had carried 1t almost
the players bench. The policema
i was standing mt his side. and both hi
c succumbed to the excitement of II
q game and were watching me slide.
q saw dark skinned. blue goggled ma
e reach q long arm over the little Ea
; by the players bench and pluck Il
bat from the hand of the boy.
! | yelled even before my slide W;
II finished: but. of course. my voice W;
! lost in the roar that billowed dow
!, from the stands and bleachers.
e Jumping to my feet. l dashed towal
u the players bench just as the polio
Z man and the bat boy woke out OF the
: trance. The three of us dashed throu.