CHAPTER XXI
A QUEER MESSAGE
The next practice ball Joe sent in went cleanly over the plate, andlanded with a thud in the catcher's glove. Russell nodded at Joe, toindicate that was what he wanted.
"Play ball!" directed the umpire, and the batter moved up closer to theplate.
Stooping low, and concealing his signal with his big glove, Russellcalled for a straight, swift ball. Joe gave it, and as it was in theproper place, though the striker did not attempt to hit it, the umpirecalled:
"Strike--one!"
Indignantly the batter looked around, but it was only done for effect.He knew it was a strike.
"That's the way. Now we've got 'em!" cried Boswell from the coachingline.
"Ball one," was the next decision of the umpire, and Joe felt a littleresentment, for he had made sure it went over the plate. But there waslittle use to object.
A curve was next called for, and Joe succeeded in enticing the batterto strike at it. But the stick missed the horsehide cleanly. It was twostrikes.
"Pretty work! Oh, pretty work!" howled Boswell.
A foul next resulted, and Russell missed it by inches. The batter hadstill another chance. But it availed him little, for Joe fooled him onthe next one.
"Good!" nodded the catcher to the young pitcher, and Joe felt his visionclearing now. He looked over toward where Mabel was sitting. She smiledencouragingly at him.
The New Yorks got one hit off Joe that inning, but, though the man onfirst stole second, after Joe had tried to nip him several times, theother two men struck out, and a goose egg went up in the first frame.
"Well, if you can do that eight more times the game is ours, if we canonly get one run," said Manager Watson, as Joe came up to the bench,smiling happily.
"I'll try," was all he said.
But the Cardinals did not get their run that inning, nor the next northe next nor next. The game ran along for five innings with neither sidecrossing home plate, and talk of a "pitchers' battle" began to be heard.Joe was pitching remarkably well, allowing only scattering hits. TheGiants could not seem to bunch them.
Then, as might have been expected, Joe had a bit of bad luck. There hadbeen hard work for him that day--hard and nervous work, and it told onhim. He was hit for a two-bagger, and the next man walked, though Joethought some of the decisions unfair.
Then the runner attempted to steal third. There was a wild throw, andthe man came in, scoring the first run. Joe felt a wave of chagrin sweepover him. He felt that the game was going.
"Tighten up! Tighten up!" he heard Boswell call to him. By a determinedeffort he got himself well in hand, and then amid the cheers of thecrowd he succeeded in striking out the other men up, so that only theone run was in.
But the pace was telling on Joe. He gave two men their base on balls thenext time he pitched, and by a combination of circumstances, two moreruns were made before the Giants were retired.
"This won't do," murmured Mr. Watson. "I'm afraid I'll have to take Joeout."
"Don't," advised Boswell. "He'll be all right, but if you take him outnow you'll break him all up. I think he could have a little bettersupport."
"Possibly. The fielding is a bit shaky. I'll send in Lawson to bat forCampbell."
This change resulted in a marked improvement With a mighty clout Lawsonknocked a home run, and, as there was a man on third, that two. Fromthen on the Cardinals seemed to find themselves. They began coming backin earnest, and everyone "got the habit." Even Joe, proverbially poorhitters as pitchers are supposed to be, did his share, and, by placing aneat little drive, that eluded the shortstop, he brought in anotherneeded run.
"One ahead now! That's fine!" cried Rad to his chum, though Joe "died"on second. "If we can only hold 'em down----" and he lookedquestioningly at the young pitcher.
"I'll do it!" cried Joe, desperately.
It did not look as though he would, though, when the first man up, afterreceiving three and two, was allowed to walk. Joe felt a bit shaky, buthe steeled himself to hold his nerve. The man at first was a notoriousbase-stealer, and Joe watched him closely. Twice he threw to the initialsack, hoping to nip him, and he almost succeeded. Then he slammed in aswift one to the batter, only to know that the runner started forsecond.
But it did him little good to do it, for though he made third, Joestruck out his three men amid a wave of applause.
"One more like that, and we've got the game!" cried Mr. Watson. "It's upto you, Joe. But if you can't stand it I'll send in Slim."
"I'll stand it," was the grim answer, though Joe's arm ached.
And stand it Joe did. He was hit once in that last inning, and one mangot his base on balls. And then and there Joe gave a remarkably nervyexhibition. He nipped the man on first, and then in quick successionsucceeded in fooling the two batters next up.
"That's the eye!"
"The Cardinals win!"
"What's the matter with Joe Matson?"
"He's all right!"
The crowd went wild, as it had a right to do, and Joe's face was as redwith pleasure as the nickname of his team. For he had had a large sharein defeating the redoubtable Giants, though to the credit of that teambe it said that several of its best players were laid up, and, at acritical part in the game their best hitter was ruled out for abusingthe umpire.
But that took away nothing from Baseball Joe's glory.
"Oh, I'm so glad you won!" cried Mabel, as he passed her box. "Isn't itglorious?"
"It sure is," he admitted with a smile.
"Can't you take dinner with us at the hotel?" she went on, and Joeblushingly agreed. The other girls smiled at him, and Reggie nodded in afriendly manner.
"Great work, old man!" called Mabel's brother. "It was a neat game."
Then Joe hurried off to have a shower, and dress, and in the clubhousehe was hailed genially by his fellow players.
"Good work, Joe!"
"I didn't think you had it in you."
"This sure will make the Giants feel sore."
As for Manager Watson, he looked at Joe in a manner that meant much tothe young pitcher.
"I told you so!" said the old coach to the manager, later that day.
"Yes, you did," admitted the latter. "Of course I knew Joe had goodstuff in him, but I didn't think it would come out so soon. He may helppull us up out of the cellar yet."
Joe enjoyed the little dinner with Mabel and her friends that night, ashe had seldom before taken pleasure in a gathering. Rad was one of theguests, and later they went to the theatre, as there was no game nextday.
But if the Cardinals expected to repeat their performance they weredisappointed. Joe was started in another contest, and he was glad Mabelwas not present, for somehow he could not keep control of the balls, andfollowing a rather poor exhibition, he was taken out after the fourthinning. But it was too late to save the game.
"Never mind, we got one of the four, and it was due to you," consoledRad, when the series was over. "And you've found out what it is to stackup against the Giants."
Joe had had his "baptism of fire," and it had done him good. The St.Louis team was to take the road again, after a time spent in the hometown, where they had somewhat improved their standing.
"Got anything to do this evening?" asked Rad, as they were coming backfrom the ball park, after a final game with Boston.
"No."
"Then let's go to the Park Theatre. There's a good hot-weather show on."
"I'm with you."
"All right. I've got to go down town, but I'll be back before it's timeto go," Rad went on.
Joe dressed, and waited around the hotel lobby for his friend to return.It grew rather late, and Joe glanced uneasily at the clock. He wasrather surprised, as he stood at the hotel desk, to hear his name spokenby a messenger boy who entered.
"Matson? There he is," and the clerk indicated our hero.
"Sign here," said the boy, shortly. Joe wondered if the telegramcontained bad news from home. Giving the lad
a dime tip, Joe opened theenvelope with fingers that trembled, and then he read this rather queermessage:
"If you want to do your friend Rad a good turn, come to the addressbelow," and Joe recognized the street as one in a less desirable sectionof the city.