The Washington herald., 1915-04-11


TO arrange a game When that game
was scheduled for July 4 Daddy How.
arth set to driving his men. Early and
late he had them out. This manager,
in keeping with all other famous mana
! gers, believed that batting was the
thing which won games. He developed
hard-hitting team. He kept ever
lastingly at them to hit and run. hit
and run.
On the Saturday before the Fourth,
Madden's Hill had a game to play that
did not worry Daddy. AID he left his
team in charge of the captai''.
"Fellers, I'm goin' down TO the
Round House to see Natchez play. Ill
size up their game" said Daddy.
When he returned he was glad to ind
| that his team had won its ninth straight
victory, but he was not communicative
in regard to the playing OF the Natchez
club. He appeared more than usually
thoughtful
The Fourth fell on Tuesday. Daddy
thad the bows out Monday and he let
them take only a short, sharp practice.
Then he sent them home In his own
mind. Daddy did not have much hope oil
iDea1l11G NdtIllNZ. IlO llft' p'Nh -
| Impressed by their playing, and one m
ming toward the close of the Round
House game they had astonished HIM
with the way they suddenly seemed to
Ibreak loose and deluge their opponents
| in food of hits and runs. He could
not understand this streak of theirs
for thev did the same thing every time
they played-and he was too good a
baseball student to call it all luck.
He had never wanted anything in his
life. not even to have two good legs. as
much as he wanted to beat Natchez.
For the Maddcn's Hill boys had come
TO believe him infallible. He was their
idol They imagined they had only to
hit and run. to fight and never give up.
and Daddy would make them win.
There was not a boy on the team who
believed that Natchez had chance.
They had grown proud and tenacious of
their dearly won reputation. First of
all. Daddy thought of his team and
their LOYALTY to him: then he thought of
the glory lately come to Madden's Hill,
and lastly of what it meant to him to
have risen from lonely watcher of the
game-a cripple who could not even
carry a bat-to manager of the famous
Hill team. 1t might go hard with the
BOYS to lose this game, hut IT would
break his heart.
From time out of mind there had al
WAYS been rivalry between Madden's
Hill and Natchez And there is no riv
airy so bitter as that between boys. So
Daddy. as he lay awake at night plan
ming the system of play he wanted to
use. left out Of all account any POSSIBLE
ity of peaceful game. 1t was comfort
ing to think that if it came to fight
Sam and Lane could hold their own
with 30 Stranathan and Slugger Blandy.
In the managing of his players Daddy
observed strict discipline. 1t was no I'm
usual thing for him to fine them. On
practice DAYS and off the field they i'm
plicitlv obeyed him. During actual
play. however. they had evinced ten.
dency to Jump over the traces. 1t had
been his order for them not to report at
the field Tuesday until o'clock He
found it extremely difficult to curb his
own inclination to start before the set
time And only the stern duty of a
man to be an example to his players
kept Daddy at home.
He lived near the ball grounds, yet on
this day. as he hobbled along on his
crutch. he thought the distance inter
minably long. and for the first time in
weeks the old sickening resentment at
his useless leg knocked at his heart.
Daddy refused admittance to
that old gloomy visitor. He found COM
fort and forgetfulness in the thought
that no strong and swift-legged boy OF
his acquaintance could do what he
could do.
Upon arriving at the field. Daddy was
amazed to sec such large crowd 1t
that all the boys and girls in
the whole town were in attendance, and
besides, there was sprinkling OF
grown-up people interspersed here and
there around the diamond Applause
greeted Daddy's appearance and mem
bers of his team escorted him to the
soap-box bench
Daddy cast sharp eye over the
Natchez PLAYERS practicing on the field.
BO Stranathan had out his strongest !
team. They were not a prepossessingI
nine They wore soiled uniforms that
did not match in cut or color But |
they pranCed and staggered and strut
ted, They were boaStful and bolster
ouS. II was trial for any Madden's |
Hill boy Just to watch them 81
"Wot swelled bunch" exclaimed
Tom Lindsay.
'Fellers. if Slueger Blandy tries to
oull any stunt on me today he'll get a |
,wclleder nut" growled Lane Griffith
"T-t-t-t-t-te-te-tell him t-t-t-to keep
,ut of m-m-m-my way an not b-b-b-b-
ll-block me-" suffered Tay-Tay Moh-
err
We're a-goin' to skin en-" said Ed
lie Curtis
Cheese it. you kids. till we git in the ;
zane, ordered Daddy 'Now Mad
lens Hill, hang round an listen | had
o sign articles with Natchez-had to
ct them have their umpire So we're
lp against it But we'll hit this pitcher
Nucklc Harris. He amt got any
team An he amt got much nerve
Vow ever teller who goes up to bat
wants to talk TO Muck Call him a big
welled stiff Tell him he can't break
'ane OF glass-tell him he can't put one
,ver the pan-tell him it he does you'll
lam il down in the sand bank Bluff
he whole team Keep scrappy all the
ime See! That's my game today.
This Natchez bunch needs to be gone
fter. Holler at the umpire Act like
GU want to fight
Then Daddy sent his men ont for
ractice
Boss, emmy ground rules" inquired
30 Stranathan He was a big. bushy-