The Washington herald., 1915-04-18

/ we uSSu W WIZ
good balls"
why did you ring this one in OF
u.s." asked the captain. I'VE neve
threw out this ball We want ;
chance to hit it"
That was just the one thing we die
not want them to have. But fa:'
played against US.
Get up on your toes. now, an
dust" said Merritt. Take your med
, icine, you lazy sit-in-front-of-thc-h o
tel stiffs! Think of pay day"
Not improbably VIC all entertained
the identical thought that old ma
Hathaway was the last pitcher under
the sun calculated to be effective with
the rabbit He never relied OF
| speed; in fact. Merritt often scorn
fully accused him of being unable tc
break pane OF glass; he used prin
| cipally what VIC called floatcrS and {
change OF pace. Both styles were
absolutely impractical with the "rab
bit"
ITS comm to us. all right, al
right" yelled Deerfoot to me, across
the intervening grass. was OF the
opinion that it did not take any gen.
ius to make DccrfoOt's ominouS pro
phccy
Old man Hathaway gazcd at MGR,
rift on the bench as if he wished the
manager could hear what he was
calling him and then at his fellow
players as ii both to warn and be
sccch them Then he pitched the
rabbit"
Crack,
The big. numbering Canadian rap
ped the ball at Crab Banc | did not
see il, because it went so last. but |
gathered from Crabs actions that ii
must have been hit in his direction.
At any rate, one OF his legs Topped
out sidewise as if it had been sudden
ly jerked, and he fell in heap The
ball, a veritablc rabbit" in its wild
jumps, headed on for Deerioot, who
contrived to stop it with his knees.
The next batter resemblcd the first
ono, and the hit likewise, only it leap
ed wickedly at Doran and went
through his hands as if they had been
paper The third man batted up a
very high fly to Gillinger. He
clutched at it with his huge shovel
hands. but he could not hold it. The
way he pounced upon the ball. dug
it out OF the grass, and hurled it at
Hathaway, showed his anger
Obviously Hathaway had to stop
the throw. for he could not get out
OF the road, and he spoke to his cap
tain in what | knew were no compli-
mentary terms.
Thus began retribution. Those
husky lads continued to hammer the
rabbit" at the inielders, and as it
bounced harder at every bounce so
they batted harder at every bat.
Another singular feature about the
rabbit was the seeming impossible
ity for professionals to hold it. Their
familiarity with it, their understand
ing OF its vagaries and inconsistent
cies, their mortal dread made fielding
it much more difficult thing than
for If opponents.
By way OF variety. the lambasting
Canadians commenced to lambast a
few over the hills and far away,
which chased Deerfoot and me until
our tongues lolled out.
Every time run crossed the plate
the motley crowd howled, roared,
danced and threw up their hats. The
of the batting team pranced
up and down the side lines. giving A
splendid imitation OF cannibals cele-
brating the occasion OF a feast.
Once Snead stopped down to trap
the rabbit" and it slipped through
his legs. for which his comrades
jccrcd him numerically. Then
brawny batter sent up a tremendous
ly high fly between short and third.
you take it," yelled Gillingcr to
Banc.
"lou take it" replied the Grab, and
actually walked backward.
That ball went mile high, The
sky was hay, gray, the most perplcx-
ing in which to judge fly ball. An
ordinary fly gave trouble enough in
the gauging.
Gllllngcr wandered around under
that ball for what seemed an age. 1t
dropped as swiftly as a rocket shoots
upward. Gillingcr went forward in
circle. then sidestcpped. and threw
up his broad hands He misjudgcd
the ball, and it hit him fairly on the
head and bounced almost to where
Doran stood at ,econd
Our big captain wilted. Time was
called. But Gillinger, when he came
to, refused to leave the game and
went back to third with lump on
his head as large as goose egg.
Every one OF his teammates was
sorry. vet every one howled in pIcc