Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-06-04

~ forward, and owe came the ball,
taking Corson entirely by surprise.
"A peach.' said Umpire Burke.
Yer OUT"
The Blue Jays on the bench howled
with delight. the intield sent up Il
scattering volley of yells. and the fans
hoped up and down. Corson went
back to the bench, tearing up the turf
with his tagging spikes, for all the
world like Il bad little boy dragging
his feet in a dusty road.
"A-h-h-h-h." he growled when his
teammates began to blister his tough
hide with reproacheS. Who'd have
thought that old stiff would nave the
nerve to pull that bush league trick in
Il tight game like this"'
The pitcher was next on the list, and
Harry keane. manager Of the Canaries.
sent in a substitute for Petersen-a
big, rawboned outfielder named Mer-
rill. Merrill was ~overanXious and very
nervous, and Bruno kept him waiting
a long time. Then he sent up such a
feeble looking cripple of a ball. such
q discouraged. wabbly sort Of ball,
that Merrill afterward swore that he
saw the trademark on the horsehide
turn owe nine times on it's way to the
plate. but he fouled that dinky Offering
over the grand stand.
"Huh-strike!!" said Burke.
Merrill thumped the plate with his
bat.
Mercy" said Steve Sullivan. "You
are angry. too, aren't you, Eddie? III
bet you won't hit the next one at all
If you could hit hard enough to earn
your one-twenty-tive a month Keane
wouldn't have been playing you on the
bench all season.
Now, it was a sprained ankle that
sent Merrill to the bench. and Sullivan
knew it. The big outfielder spluttered
incoherently. and over came the ball.
Merrill collected himself for another
giant swing-and flew out back of sec
ond base.
By this time the fam were in a ter
rife connection. and there was consid-
cradle excitement on the visitors
bench. Keane was running up and
down in front Of his players and fay
ing them with the rough side of his
tongue.
"Here's an old man. a thousand
years dead and buried, and you're go
ing to let him win this pennant from
you? Are you? What's he got out
there today: Nothing but a wish and
a prayer-nothing a-tall! Oh, you're a
fine bunch"
Rayburn. the second baseman, see
ing that he was going to get nothing
but strikes, chopped at the first one
and dropped a Texas Lacquer over on
the third base line and halfway be-
tween two ielders. He could not have
placed it better had he used a messen-
ger boy, and the throw to second did
not come near catching him. Two
bases on a Texas Lacquer.
Sap" Halsey. the right fielder, also
smashed at the first ball and drove a
vicious liner toward first base. Billy
Keith knocked it down and chased
after it. and Bruno. his aged legs
working like drumsticks, raced ver
and toed the bag ahead of Halsey.
All in vain. for Keith could not make
the toss in time. Result, Halsey on
first and Rayburn on third, ready to
sneak home on a fumbled throw to
second, a passed ball or a hit.
Jimmy McLennon, the 1928 hitter
and prospective big Lacquer, tossed
away two of the three bats which he
had been swinging and advanced to
the plate. He was the worst man
Bruno might have been called upon to
face in this crisis.
The veteran stood still for several
seconds, glancing from first to third.
as If watching the Bruno
was thinking hard. Here was a man
who was almost certain to hit any
sort Of a ball that came over the plate.
Pittman had been warming up for two
innings. and Heinie had at least a
sound pitching arm. but he was young
and had nerves. Bruno was an old
man without Il nerve in his body, I'M
less those were nerves which were
sending fiery pains through his left
shoulder.
NO" thought Bruno; mo. it was
put up to me. I'll stick, and l won't
walk this bird either. The next fellow
is a good hitter too"
The veteran stabbed the turf with
his spikes and spat ccurageously. He
had not pitched q curve ball thus far.
1t was likely that the Canaries knew
it. Halsey would steal on that first
ball anyway. but would Keane have
the nerve to send Rayburn along to
the plate on a double steal? Bruno
doubted it. Keane would be more
likely to place his dependence upon
Jimmy McLennon's bat. Bruno sign
ed Sullivan to hold the ball and let
Halsey go down. 1t was gambling
upon what McLennon might do. but
Bruno felt reasonably certain that the
batter would wait for Halsey to reach
second base.