Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1914-11-13

await results with interest. n your bat
ting average picks up I'll know that Din
fir Msb's bat has done t. But be ready
to give up the bat when he calls for Il
Crossing these orientais is dangerous
business. Yours.
L c BnsTRUTHER NJ d.
II was with feelings Of trepidation.
as the novelists say. that l undone that
long bundle. When the last wrapping
was peeled or there was a life size bat
It was made out Of some heavy. dark
colOred wood.
II didn't swell In the middle Just TO
my liking. but It seemed to have a good
balance for all Of that. When ! swung
II there came a ungling sensation that
shot up my arms and stirred the very
roots Of my hair. as the novelists say.
| never felt stronger-aot aver In the
brave days when l was twenty-one and
smashing batting records every week.
/ swung from the shoulder and
chopped from the wrist and prnctlced
all the other batting moves | know to
the imminent danger Of the gold plated
chandeliers In that bridal SCOT, and the
more I swung the club the better l
liked It and the stronger grew my sense
Of power.
II don't seem quite modest to set
down all the batting feats lone In the
game hat day, but this Is a veracious
record Of unimpeachable fact. as oDce
heard a stump speaker say. and the
details have got TO go with the general
outline Of the plot Out Of five times
up l hit for a single and a two Dagger
and lifted three home runs over the
fence. the last one going through the
window Of n brewery two blocks from
the grounds and nearly knocking one
OF our solid Dutch citizens into a beer
vat he was grooming.
The sporting writer's didn't whisper
10 each other and Jot down hints about
back attachment Instead, they Just
stood up and whooped with the rest
Of the wild. crazy crowd. | was car
ned OF the grounds to the hotel auto
by an admiring delegation Of fans from
our home city and even made a seven
word speech from the steps Of the bus
but through 1t all / clutched that
magic oriental bat with a death grip
The fear OF losing that bat was
strong upon me, as the nOvelists say.
My batting average got better and bet
ter. Never had Walloper Murphy hit
at such n terrific pace.
The care l 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. l hired a
plain boy at a fancy salary to do moth
ing but grab that bat, after l had
thrown It down, and guard 1t till l had
come back from the base lines.
He had strict orders not to let It go
out Of his hands when l was playing
In the field. ! was peevish about let
ting the other players 30 much as heft
the bat and come near losing some
friendships OF long standing on that
account.
It was getting well toward the close
OF the race. vita our team holding the
lead by an eyelash. There were only
three more games to play, and the club
management was looking to me to pull
them u Of the fire, for our pitchers
wasn't going any too we'll. and It was
only by free hitting that we could hope
to win. Then came the demand l had
been dreading. 1t was just a note, in
a strange scrawl. handed In by a bell
boy. 1t said:
Please give bearer Dinjlr Meb's bat
'Srhe note was give to me by a dark.
skinned man with blue goggles, and he
said he'd wait in the reception parlor,' y
said the boy in answer to my demand
l rushed down to the parlor, but
there wal nobody there.
But along about l O'Clock, Just be
fore l was starting for the baseball
grounds to begin the final and deciding
series of three games with our nearest
contenders. along comes another note
handed In by another bellboy. II read.
Dinjir Meb viii take his bat this after
noon. since Sahib Murphy will not sur
render Il willingly.
l chung to hat bat with a feveIish
grip all the way TO the park.
gave my private bat guardian spe
cial instructions about grabbing the
stick as soon as | had thrown It down
after making a hit Then / bribed 4
special policeman to keep an eye OF
the boy. Even then l didn't feel safe.
Dinjir Meb's bat never did any great
er execution than on that day. 1t had
the long distance hits caroming of the
Outfleld fences. and up to the ninth In.
ming / had driven in sever q n and
hnd the game practically cinched. In
the ninth l sent one TO the ingpOle in
center. / knew / could just stretch Il
into four bases by hard running.
II was all a matter OF machlne-hkC
calculation with me. l counted every
step and knew | must be two seconds
ahead OF the ball when / jumped into
the ten foot slide nc the finish. AS
slid and heard the umpire call "Safeg'
l glanced toward the players bench t.
see what had become OF Dinjir Meb'l
bat