CHAPTER XIX
A CLOSE CALL
The people in the grandstand had not fully grasped the significance ofthe cowardly attack, as the attention of most of them was centered uponthe dispute at first base. But the shout of Baseball Joe and the rushof Jim through the aisle of the stand had brought them to their feet,and some of them started in pursuit or tried to stop the flying figureof the fugitive.
But this very desire of so many to apprehend him helped in his escape.Men crowded in the aisle, and Jim, who could otherwise have capturedhim, found himself in the midst of a throng that effectually hinderedhis progress. He pushed his way through desperately, using his arms andhands to clear a passage, but by the time he arrived at the outer edge,the man had disappeared. Either he had mixed with the enormous crowdor had found his way through one of the numerous exits. In any event,he was not to be seen, and at last Jim, flaming-eyed and dripping withsweat from his exertions, had to come back empty-handed.
In the meantime, the umpire had asserted his authority at first base,and given the St. Louis players one minute by his watch to resume play.With much muttering and grumbling they obeyed. The decision stood, andLarry was on third, while Denton danced around on first and "kidded"the Cardinal first baseman on the umpire's decision.
Joe again took up his position at the plate, the fairer-minded amongthe spectators giving him a cheer as he did so, to express theirindignation at the dastardly attack that had been made on him. He wassomewhat shaken by the close call he had had, and the first two ballswere strikes. Then he took a grip on himself, and when the next onecame over he smashed a beauty to right. It went for two bases, whileLarry scored easily, and Denton by great running and a headlong slidealso reached the plate. The next man up sacrificed Joe to third,but there he remained, as the next two batters, despite McRae'sadjurations, were not able to bring him in.
The Giants, however, had now broken the tie and had a two-run lead, andalthough that ended their scoring, it was sufficient, as Joe put onextra steam and mowed down the Cardinals almost as fast as they came tothe bat. One hit was made off him for the remainder of the game, but asthe batter got no farther than first there was no damage done.
Joe and Jim did not care to discuss the matter before their mates, andthe attack was put down to some rowdy who was sore at the umpire'sdecision and took that method of showing it. But the two friends knewthat it was much more than that.
"Well, what do you think now of my hunch?" demanded Jim, when the chumswere alone together. "Was I right when I said I was uneasy about thatfellow being in the grandstand?"
"You certainly were, Jim," answered Joe. "It must have been Bugswho threw that bottle. I know at any rate that it was he whom I sawhustling out of the stands. And when I looked at where he had beensitting the seat was empty."
"It was Bugs all right," affirmed Jim with decision. "I saw his faceonce, when he glanced behind him while he was running. Then, too, onlya pitcher could have hurled the bottle with the swiftness and precisionthat he did. It went nearly as far as the pitcher's box before itstruck the ground. Gee! my heart was in my mouth for a second when Isaw it go whizzing past your ear. If it had hit you fair and square, itwould have been good night."
"It did barely touch me," replied Joe, pointing to a scratch on hisear. "The old rascal hasn't forgotten how to throw. How that fellowmust hate me! And yet I was the best friend that he had on the team."
"He hates you all right," replied Jim. "But it wasn't only his ownpersonal feeling that prompted him to do that thing to-day. That isn'tBugs' way. He'd dope your coffee on the sly. Or he'd throw a stone atyour head in a dark street, as he did that time when we'd started onour tour around the world. But to do a thing in the open, as he didto-day, means that he had a mighty big incentive to lay you out. Thatincentive was probably money. Somebody has put up the cash to send himto St. Louis, and that same somebody has probably promised him a bigwad of dough if he could do you up. The chance came to-day, when thefans began to throw bottles at the umpire. He figured that that was thetime to get in his work. If he'd been caught, he could have said thathe was only one of a good many who did the same thing, and that he hadno idea the bottle was going to hit anybody."
"Then you think that Bugs this time was acting as the tool of Braxton,or whoever it is that's trying to put me out of business," remarked Joe.
"Think so!" cried Jim. "I'm sure of it. So many things, all pointing todeliberate purpose, don't happen by accident. The same fellow who hiredthose auto bandits to cripple you hired Bugs for the same purpose. Lotsof people have heard of the hatred that Bugs has for you. I supposehe's panning you all the time in the joints where he hangs out. Thisfellow that's after your hide has heard of Bugs and put him on thejob. If he can't get you in one way, he's going to try to get you inanother. He figures that some time or other one of his schemes will gothrough. Gee!" he exclaimed, jumping up and pacing the floor, "whatwould I give just to come face to face with him and have him in a roomalone with me for five minutes. Just five minutes! I'd change his faceso that his own brother wouldn't know him."
"I hope that job's reserved for me," replied Joe, as his fist clenched."He'd get a receipt in full for all I owe him."
"In the meantime, what shall we do about Bugs?" asked Jim anxiously."He ought to be put in jail. It isn't right that a man who's tried tocripple another should be at large."
"No," agreed Joe, "it isn't. But I don't see just what we can do aboutit. The chances are ten to one against his being found. Even if hewere, nobody could be found probably who saw him actually throw thebottle. We didn't ourselves, though we feel absolutely certain that hedid. He could explain his leaving by saying that he was taken ill andhad to leave. Then, too, if he were arrested, we'd have to stay hereand prosecute him, and we can't stay away from the team. Besides thewhole thing would get in the papers, and Mabel and Clara and all thefolks would have heart failure about it. No, I guess we'll have to keepquiet about it."
"I suppose we will," admitted Jim reluctantly. "But some day thisscoundrel who's hounding you will be caught in the open. And I'm stillhoping for that five minutes!"