CHAPTER XXV
REGGIE'S AUTO
Hardly understanding what was afoot, and not in the least appreciatingJoe's excitement, Pop Dutton followed the young pitcher across thediamond.
"What are you going to do?" asked the old player, as he hurried on afterJoe.
"Get into my street togs the first thing. Then I'm going to try and findthat fellow--Hogan, did you say his name was?"
"One of 'em, yes. But what do you want of him?"
"I want him to tell when and where he took that stuff from the queervalise. And I want to know if he has any of it left, by any chance,though I don't suppose he has. And, in the third place, I want to makehim say that I didn't take the stuff."
Pop Dutton drew a long breath.
"You, Joe!" he exclaimed. "You accused?"
"Yes. It's a queer story. But I'm beginning to see the end of it now!Come on!"
They hurried into the dressing rooms. Most of the other players hadgone, for Joe and Pop had been delayed out on the diamond talking toHogan. Charlie Hall was there, however, and he looked curiously at Joe.
"Anything the matter?" asked the young shortstop.
"Well, there may be--soon," answered his friend. "I'll see you later.Tell Gregory that I may be going out of town for a while, but I'll surebe back in time for to-morrow's game."
"All right," said Charlie, as he went in to take a shower bath.
"Now, Pop," spoke Joe, as he began dressing, "where can we find thisHogan?"
"Oh, most likely he'll be down around Kelly's place," naming a sort oflodging-house hang-out for tramps and men of that class.
"Then down there we'll go!" decided the young pitcher. "I'm goingto have an interview with Hogan. If I'd only known he was the oneresponsible for the accusation against me I'd have held on to him whilehe was talking to you. But I didn't realize it until afterward, and thenthe officer had put him outside. He was lost in the crowd. But supposehe isn't at Kelly's?"
"Oh, someone there can tell us where to find him. But it's a roughplace, Joe."
"I suppose so. You don't mind going there; do you?"
"Well, no, not exactly. True, a lot of the men I used to trail in withmay be there, but, no matter. They can't do any more than gibe me."
"We could take a detective along," suggested Joe.
"No, I think we can do better by ourselves. I don't mind. You see afterI--after I went down and out--I used to stop around at all the baseballtowns, and in that way I got to know most of these lodging-house places.This one in Washburg is about as rough as any."
"How did you come to know Hogan?"
"Oh, I just met him on the road. He used to be a good railroad man, buthe went down, and now he's no good. He's a boastful sort, and that's howhe came to tell me about the valise. But I never thought you'd be mixedup in it."
"Of course I can't be dead certain this is the same valise that wasrobbed," said Joe; "but it's worth taking a chance on. I do hope we canfind him."
But they were doomed to disappointment. When they reached Kelly'slodging-house Hogan had gone, and the best they could learn, in thesullen replies given by the habitues, was that the former railroad manhad taken to the road again, and might be almost anywhere.
"Too bad!" exclaimed Pop sympathetically, as he and Joe came out.
"Yes, it is," assented the young pitcher, "for I did want Reggie Varleyto know who really robbed his valise." Perhaps Joe also wanted a certainother person to know. But he did not mention this, so of course I cannotbe sure. "Better luck next time!" exclaimed the young pitcher ascheerfully as he could.
They endeavored to trace whither Hogan had gone, but without success.The best they could ascertain was that he had "hopped a freight," forsome point west.
Joe did not allow the disappointment to interfere with his baseballwork. In the following games with Washburg he fitted well into the tightplaces, and succeeded, several times, when the score was close, in beinginstrumental in pulling the Pittston team out a winner.
On one occasion the game had gone for nine innings without a run oneither side, and only scattered hits. Both pitchers--Joe for Pittston,and young Carrolton Lloyd for Washburg--were striving hard for victory.
The game came to the ending of the ninth, with Washburg up. By fortunatechance, and by an error on the part of Charlie Hall, the home team gottwo men on bases, and only one out. Then their manager made a mistake.
Instead of sending in a pinch hitter--for a hit was all that was neededto score the winning run, the manager let the regular batting order befollowed, which brought up the Washburg pitcher. Lloyd was tired out,and, naturally, was not at his best. He popped up a little fly, whichJoe caught, and then sending the ball home quickly our hero caughtthe man coming in from third, making a double play, three out andnecessitating the scoring of another zero in the ninth frame forWashburg.
Then came the tenth inning. Perhaps it was his weariness or the memoryof how he had had his chance and lost it that made Lloyd nervous.Certainly he went to pieces, and giving one man his base on balls,allowed Joe to make a hit. Then came a terrific spell of batting andwhen it was over Pittston had four runs.
It was then Joe's turn to hold the home team hitless, so that they mightnot score, and he did, to the great delight of the crowd.
This one feat brought more fame to Joe than he imagined. He did notthink so much of it himself, which is often the case with things that wedo. But, in a way, it was the indirect cause of his being drafted to abig league, later on.
The season was now drawing to a close. The race for the pennant wasstrictly between Pittston and Clevefield, with the chances slightly infavor of the latter. This was due to the fact that there were moreveteran players in her ranks, and she had a better string of pitchers.
A week or so more would tell the tale. Pittston and Clevefield wouldplay off the final games, the best three out of four, two in one townand two in the other.
Interest in the coming contests was fast accumulating and there wasevery prospect of generous receipts.
The winners of the pennant would come in for a large share of the gatereceipts, and all of the players in the two leading teams were countingmuch on the money they would receive.
Joe, as you may well guess, planned to use his in two ways. The majorpart would go toward defraying the expenses of his father's operation.It had not yet been definitely settled that one would be performed, butthe chances were that one would have to be undertaken. Then, too, Joewanted to finance the cost of getting Dutton's arm into shape. Awell-known surgeon had been consulted, and had said that a slightoperation on one of the ligaments would work wonders. It would be rathercostly, however.
"Joe, I'm not going to let you do it," said Pop, when this was spokenof.
"You can't help yourself," declared Joe. "I saved your life--at leastI'm not modest when it comes to that, you see--and so I have, in a way,the right to say what I shall do to you. Besides, if we win the pennantit will be due, as much as anything, to the instruction you gave me. Nowwill you be good!"
"I guess I'll have to," agreed Pop, laughingly.
Pittston closed all her games with the other teams, excepting onlyClevefield. The pennant race was between these two clubs. Arrangementshad been made so that the opening game would be played on the Pittstongrounds. Then the battle-scene would shift to Clevefield, to come backto Pittston, and bring the final--should the fourth game be needed, toClevefield.
"If we could only win three straight it would be fine," said Joe.
"It's too much to hope," returned Pop.
It was the day before the first of the pennant games. The Pittstons hadgone out for light practice on their home grounds, which had been"groomed" for the occasion. As far as could be told Pittston looked tobe a winner, but there is nothing more uncertain than baseball.
As Joe and his mates came off the field after practice there shuffled upto the veteran player a trampish-looking man. At first Joe thought thismight be Hogan again, but a second look convinced him otherw
ise. The manhoarsely whispered something to the old pitcher.
"He says Hogan and a gang of tramps are in a sort of camp in Shiller'sWoods," said Pop, naming a place that was frequently the abiding placeof "gentlemen of the road."
"He is?" cried Joe. "Then let's make a beeline for there. I've just gotto get this thing settled! Are you with me, Pop?"
"I sure am. But how are we going to get out there? It's outside the citylimits, no car line goes there, and trains don't stop."
"Then we've got to have an auto," decided Joe. "I'll see if we can hireone."
He was on his way to the dressing rooms, when, happening to glancethrough the big open gate of the ball ground he saw a sight that causedhim to exclaim:
"The very thing! It couldn't be better. I can kill two birds with onestone. There's our auto, and the man in it is the very one I want toconvince of my innocence! That's Reggie Varley. I'll make him take us toShiller's Woods! We'll catch Hogan there. Come on!"
Never stopping to think of the peculiar coincidence that had broughtReggie on the scene just when he was most needed, Joe sprinted for thepanting auto, Pop following wonderingly.