The Alaska citizen., 1914-12-21

urged Ruef. You'll come back. It's
just for a year or two It's just for
the experience.
Yes. know answered Shade.
blowing his nose violently. but I
want to stay here"
When Chief Tarhell. the Gamecock
catcher heard Of it he grunted.
That hoy1l be back here inside a
year" he prophesied. with a scorn-
full glance over the squad. gambol-
ing about. Mark my words. He's
got as much now. Henry, as any OF
these dubs-and then some"
About the middle Of that season
Seeley made a perfunctory report to
Polk, placing It casually in post
script OF letter that rambled for
three pages without getting any
where.
THE boys been a disappointment
in some ways" he wrote For one
thing, he's sulky and don't get on
with the bunch very good"
GLORY be. what did you expect"
exclaimed Ruef Page. when he heard
1t. Wouldn't 1t make an angel sour
to go from us to those longhorns
Shade says-here's his letter to me
read it-Shade says they don't know
baseball out there from duck on the
rock"
Report number two drifted in aft
er few weeks.
Young Selman just dubs along.
He won't try. He shows flash enough
at odd times to hold his job-but. as
a phenom, he's busted"
Il don't understand It," said Polk
sorrowfully. THAT doesn't sound
like Shade at all, Ruef. never
thought he'd lay down. It's too
bad"
Too bad" snorted the first sack
er. 81 tell you 1t isn't So Who is
this Seeley, anyhow? His reports
don't listen like the local papers out
there. from all hear. Wait a while.
Henry. There's bug under the
chip"
The bug crawled out next week
when a night lettergram came to
Polk
Can unload young selman on
Fenner McGrady. Of Benton Boost
ers, for hundred dollars. Wire me
his release"
At sight of this offer, both man
ager and first baseman expanded
into grins. bage slapped bundle
OF newspapers on to the table
Flash enough at odd times, hey
Well. should worry now. Look! I
sent for these So he'll give a hun
dred for Shade, will he? Wow
he thinks there's straw in our hair
Listen here, Henry That old fox
never figured we'd see the dope, |
bet"
the first sacker spread out page
after page Of lurid sporting news
"'Selman strikes out eleven" he
read. That was on the eighteenth
On the twenty first-'Wild Cats
Wonder Holds Boosters Hitless.' Oh.
maybe that's rotten-what? And,
listen, Henry-jinks. this is some
bear cat Of a story"
Ruef thrust out his chest, extend
ed one long arm, and acclaimed with
the dramatic fervor Of July Fourth
Grafton.
Shade Selman has developed a
new curve. And so he no longer
goes by the cognomen Of Shade
but Jack Rabbit-or Jack Rabbi.
Shade, if you like.
Just how to describe this latest
invention of the Wild Cats infant
marvel is puzzle. 1t starts-well.
anyhow. Shade says himself. with
1t where he amt But Buck Weav-
terday, says 1t comes at you like
a jack rabbit runs. Now. a jack
rabbit is some dodger. and Mr. Weav-
er ought to know. So let it go at
that"
The manager chuckled and reach
ed for the pile Of papers. His eyes
were glinting.
Lets see what the kids doing"
he said. And say, Ruef. answer
that wire for me-"
Page took Chief Tarheel with him
to send the telegram. Their reply
went collect and threw Seeley into
a lather. 1t was:
you can buy Shade Selman for
ten thousand dollars"
Young Mr.. Selman and his jack
rabbit curve formally joined the
Gamecocks at the opening Of the
spring-training season. and what hap
pened after that is fandom lore.
Suffice that Mr.. Buck Weaver flat
tered the jack-rabbit species.
We are concerned only with the
third game Of the championship ser
les at the flag end of summer when,
with lead Of two games. Polk
took a chance with the youngster
and put him in against the smuggling
for the pennant
What" walled the wise ones
with one voice. Hes going to
pitch that kid. Good night! It's
curtains now Sure, he's good. But
in a championship series! Why. he's
bound to blow up-theyll beat him
to a pulp"
To the press Polk explained ser
enely: 1--WE never seen anything
yet that could scare the boy. If
there's yellow in him. it'll come out
now. Give him fine hot day like
he likes. and Jack Rabbit will win"
Tventy-seven thousand people
parted from perfectly good dollars
to see him try. And the bleachers
roared a welcome that went tingling
to the heavens. They liked Shade,
and there was something about the
big hulk that inspired confidence.
He was no beauty to look at and
tolerably awkward-but. Lawdy.
he fling a. ball! Besides. he.
was out there to win his spurs-it
was the supreme test Of his mettle.
So with a pleasant SAVIOR of ad-
venture and all kinds of possibilities
to the games, they stuck handker-