Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1914-07-16

but he could knock the cover off a
straight ball, and that was what Eli
offered him. Cul lined it back as
straight as it had come. Eli stuck out
his hand mechanically, the ball hit his
glove and dropped dead at his feet.
1t was a startling bit of fielding for
the crowd, and Il still more startling
bit of fielding for Eli himself. And
there was the ball at his feet, and Joe
Dorsey was halfway between third and
the plate. Eli made a snatch for the
ball and dribbled it along the ground
for ten feet. When he did pick it up
he whipped it to White like a bullet,
but he was very careful to throw the
ball shoulder high. and as it thudded
into the big catcher's mitt, Joe Dorsey
Slid over the plate low and safe. The
crowd was stunned into silence. An
error apiece for this wonderful pair
and a run for Bisbee. What was going
to happen next?
They We're not kept in suspense very
long. Eli, thinking Of the money.
made up his mind that since the public
idol had to have a clay foot, he might
as well have q pair. Culpepper was
on first base. Eli knew we'll that Smil-
ing Kelly had a fatal weakness. A ball
low down on his bare hand side would
get away from him nine times out Of
ten. And, of course, that was why
Eli tried to nab Culpepper off first base
by throwing with all the strength in
his arm low down and on the "meat
hand side" The ball went hopping to
the ~bleachers. Culpepper wen hopping
to second base and the Tucson crowd
was hopping mad. Eli threw his glove
on he ground and walked around in
circles. White ran in as if to steady
him, but what he said was:
Give EN- another one, and then
wind her up quick. Look at the
cloudS!'
Eli knew that Slattery, the next hit
ter, liked a ball high up under his
shoulders, and high up it came. If Slat-
terry had put in a mail order for it he
could not have been better suited.
Slattery knocked that free will offer
ing into center for a single; and Gull
pepper scored. Tucson was very sick.
Delaney, on the bench. was desperate.
Chen suddenly the Eli Of blessed
memory blossomed forth just as: If he
had never been under an eclipse. He
struck out two men with seven pitched
balls, and the third one fouled into
Whites glove.
There was an ominous rumbling in
the west as, the teams changed sides
and an ominous grumbling in the grand
stand If Eli expected applause for
locking the stable door after he had
stolen the horse he was disappointed.
Pete Moreno looked at the figure ,
on the scoreboard for the first half of
the seventh. and it struck him that
these Eagles. were not so fierce after
all; easy picking. Then Pete fell into
the common error of those Of his
blood. He grew careless, tried to-
show off" Il new curve ball with
which he had been experimenting and
Mouse walked, slightly reviving the
hopes of the populace.
Smiling Kelly missed two mighty
swings and then rolled one gently
down the first base line. Mouse Nc
Chez reached second base, but the Tue
son men knew that this was no time
to play for single runs. 1t would take
@ cluster Of three to win, two would
say the bacon. and the rain was COM
ing out of the west Oh the wings Of a
stiff wind.
Kid Peters walked out, swinging his
short black bludgeon.
"What shall l do, Paty" he asked.
do your d-dest.." said the man
ager desperately.
Kid Peters obeyed orders to the let
ter, for he famed without so much as
touching the ball, and Moreno grinned
at his catcher. There was not a sound
in the grand stand. The Tucson root
ers had one eyes On the diamond and
one eye on the sullen masses OF black
clouds rolling up from the west. No
need for some fool on the bleaehers to
yell Now or never!" Without doubt
this. would be. the last full inning play
ed. Mouse McGhee was waiting on
| second base. and two hands were
gone"
Moose Jones shat his eyes and took
a crack at the first thing that resem-
bled a baseball. Moose was not much
Of a hitter at best, but there are times
when the man who swings blindly in
PRODUCES the element of luck into a
contest of skill. The ball dropped safe
in Snort right field. but the Mouse had
no chance to score. Third base was
the best he could do, and the Moose
stayed on first.
Bingo Bodie spent some time select
ing his weapon. and he picked out
the biggest and the heaviest bat he
could find. Then be dug his spikes
into the turf and addressed Pete Mo-
n
Come On, you yellow hammerr.' he
tainted. You amt game enough to
stick one over. There never was a
game guy in the whole Moreno family.