The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1915-02-19

hold Sammy, In cricketing fannels-
which should have been a frock coat !
and a high hat-loitering near the pa
vilion. about which a number of fan
nel-clad men are congregated, Players
and Gentlemen. all on good terms With
each other. and each side waiting to
knock the stuffing" out of the other.
Behold, too, Mr. Langholme, testing
his new bat and watching with cool
disdain the low Hobbs. who is twist
ing a cricket ball lovingly in his hand.
Sammy, being in aannels, manages
to gain entrance to the sacred inclos-
ure during the Gentlemen's second
inning. 1t should be explained that
since the Players had scored 267 and
the Gentlemen only 70, the Gentlemen
were having their second inning On
top of the first, the Players fully sx-
pecting to wallop them with one in
ming to their two, and a good many
runs over. And when the next wicket
fell Mr.. Langholme. the Gentlemen's
hope, who had made a oreditable Is
in his first attempt, was to try to re-
trieve the situation.
Hello. Butts, How did you get
here?" inquired Langholme, with lam
guild interest
Sammy smiled Have a bracer,
and I'll tell you he said
He led the unresisting Langholme
toward the little booth behind the pa
vilion. Nobody was there, Sammy
having squared the booth man. With
deft. unexpected movement Of the
arm. Sammy thrust a gag into Mr..
Langholme's mouth. Then he threw
him on the floor behind the booth and
tied him fast with a rope that he
had taken from about his waist
Next instant shouts of "Langholme,
Next man." resounded, and Sammy
saw one of the Gentlemen walking
off the field with his wicket down.
Sammy hastily thrust on pair Of
knee-guards. took the bat that lay be-
side the glazing, speeches. Mr. Lang
holme. and walked out into the field.
'Langholmes had stroke" he ex-
planned truthfully to the retiring bats
man. I've taken his place.
fore his wicket, facing the demon
Hobbs, % yards away. Beside him
stood a second batsman. Sammy
didn't know why ne was standing
there, but he didn't care. either. If
he could hit the ball with a baseball
bat what couldn't he do with the club
in his hand? He held it over his
shoulder instead of putting it down in
the block The spectators gasped.
PLAY" yelled the umpire. The de-
mons arm went up above his head,
and the ball trundled slowly toward
Sammy. Sammy let fly, and the ball
went spinning across the field. Next
instant the second batsman was at
his side.
, Run, sir" he gasped. Rum" And
Sammy ran to the opposite wicket
Next minute the batsman was back
at his side again.
Run, sir!" he gasped.
So Sammy ran again, and then
again. 1t was firing work, and, not
understanding that he was to stor
when the ball was retrieved, ne start
ed fourth time. and only got back
to his crease without having his
wicket down by miracle of luck.
The demon scowled and sent dowr
a high lob Sammy, half way acros:
the pitch, caught it and sent it beyond
the boundary.
1 man. That's a boundary. That's ;
four hit"
& Then Sammy understood somethin.
4 of the principle. When you hit th'
4 ball you ran, but if you could hit j
4 beyond the boundary you scored fou
! automatically That was easier.
After that Sammy began hitting
four every time. Of course, he ha'
intervals of rest, because every lift
or sixth ball the field dissolved Xix
a kaleidoscope and he found himsel
standing idly beside the bowler. Blu
then again the field would be rear
ranged, and Sammy would face the dc
mon Hobbs. who, much discounted
would try him with new kinds c
balls. There were fast balls and slo7
balls, spinning balls and breakin
balls. Sammy didn't care Each ba
went to the boundary for four. Tn
& field was extended almost to the bouI
sc dairy to stop his strikes, but the
~ failed. The ball went whizZing owe
- their heads. In half an hour Sammy
ry score stood at $50, and the cheers
7u the spectators were continuous.
IN In two hours Sammy had passe
II the two hundred mark He didn
care anything about Hobbs now, {
y any of the other bowlers. With h
Ie- bat over his shoulder he just waite
and then. shutting one eye. he swipe
Ut The Players were demoralized.
X But the Gentlemen did not wi
a. They were some 200 points ahead, ar
lg- still going strong, when time W;
he called. And Sammy. still with the b
ed over his shoulder, found himself su
os- rounded by cheering, raving mob
ne The first face ne looked into vi
the earl's.
" INV bow" he gasped. WHY didr