CHAPTER XXX
THE WINNING THROW--CONCLUSION
For a moment Tom stood there a bit embarrassed, for he saw thatsomething unusual had happened.
"I--I hope I'm not intruding," he stammered. "I didn't think--I cameright in as I always do. Has anything----"
"It's all right!" exclaimed Joe quickly. "We just got word that dad haslost his patent case."
"Gee! That's too bad!" exclaimed Tom, who knew something of the affair."What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to pitch against the Resolutes, the first thing I do!" criedJoe. "After that I'll decide what's next. But is my glove mended, Clara?Come on, Tom, we mustn't be late. We're going to wallop them--just asyou said."
"I hope you do!" burst out Clara.
"Play a good game and--and--don't worry," whispered Mrs. Matson to herson as he kissed her good-bye.
The team and substitutes were to go to Rocky Ford in two big stages, intime to get in some practice on the grounds that were none too familiarto them. A crowd of Silver Star "rooters" were to follow on the trolley.The captain and managers of the rival teams watched their opponentspractice with sharp eyes.
"They're snappier than when they beat us before," was Darrell'sconclusion.
"They've got a heap sight better pitcher in Joe than Sam Morton everwas," concluded Captain Hen Littell of the Resolutes, who twirled forhis team. "I shouldn't wonder but what we'd have a mighty close game."
The last practice was over. The scattered balls had been collected, thebatting list made out and final details arranged. Once more came thethrilling cry of the umpire:
"Play ball!"
The Resolutes were to bat last, and Seth Potter went up to bat first forthe Stars.
"Swat it," pleaded the crowd, and Seth smiled. But he fanned the airsuccessively as well as successfully and soon went back to the bench.Then came Fred Newton's turn and he knocked a little pop fly that waseasily caught before he reached first. Captain Rankin himself was upnext and managed to get to first on a swift grounder that got past theshortstop. But he died on second, for the next man up fanned. No runsfor the Stars.
The Resolutes were jubilant, thinking this augured well for them, butthey looked a little blank when Joe retired their first two men hitless.For Joe had started off in good form. With the first ball he deliveredhe knew that he was master of the horsehide--at least for a time.
"But oh! I hope I don't slump!" and he almost found himself praying thatsuch a thing would not happen.
He was in an agony of fear when he heard the crack of the bat on theball when the third man came up. The spheroid went shooting off incentre field, but by a magnificent stop Percy Parnell gathered it in andthe side was retired runless. Things were not so bad for the Stars.
For the next two innings neither side got a run, though there were somescattered hits. Again was there talk of a pitchers' battle, though inthe strict sense of the word this was not so, as both Joe and HenLittell were hit occasionally, and for what would have been runs onlyfor the efficient fielding on both sides.
"See if we can't do something this inning!" pleaded Rankin when his sidecame up in their half of the fourth. The lads all tried hard and Joeknocked a pretty one that was muffed by the second baseman. However, hequickly picked it up and hurled it to first. Joe got there about thesame time as the ball did, and to many he seemed safe, but he was calledout.
"Aw, that's rotten!" cried Tom Davis.
"Let it go!" said Darrell sharply, and Tom subsided.
The Stars got another goose egg--four straight--and in their half of thefourth the Resolutes got their first run. The crowd went wild and Joefound himself clenching his hands, for the run came in because he hadgiven a man his base on balls. The runner had successively stolen secondand third, and went home on a nice fly.
"I hope I'm not going to slump!" thought Joe and there was a lump in histhroat. For an instant he found himself thinking of his father'stroubles, and then he firmly dismissed them from his mind. "I've got topitch!" he told himself fiercely.
"We've got him going!" chanted the Resolute "rooters." Joe shut histeeth grimly and struck out the next man. Then he nipped the runnerstealing second and threw him out with lightning speed. That somewhatsilenced the jubilant cries and when Joe managed to retire one of theResolute's heaviest hitters without even a bunt a big crowd rose up andcheered him.
"They're only one ahead," said Rankin as his lads came in to bat. "Let'sdouble it now."
And double it they did, the Star boys playing like mad and gettingenough hits off Littell to make two runs.
"That's the way to wallop 'em!" sang some one in the visiting crowd andthe song composed for the occasion was rendered with vim.
Desperately as the Resolutes tried in their half of the fifth to catchup to their rivals, they could not do it. Joe was at his best and inthat half inning did not allow a hit. He had almost perfect control, andhis speed was good. Only once or twice did he pitch at all wild and thenit did no harm as there was no one on base.
The sixth inning saw a run chalked up for each team, making the scorethree to two in favor of the Stars.
"Oh, if we can only keep this up!" exclaimed Darrell, "we'll have them.Can you do it, Joe?"
"I guess so--yes, I can!" he said with conviction.
Then came the lucky seventh, in which the Stars pounded out three runs,setting the big crowd wild with joy, and casting corresponding gloomover the cohorts of the Resolutes. The Stars now had six runs and theirrivals were desperate. They even adopted unfair tactics, and severaldecisions of the umpire were manifestly in their favor. The crowd hootedand yelled, but the young fellow who was calling strikes and balls heldto his opinion, and the Resolutes closed their half of the seventh withtwo runs.
"Six to four in our favor," murmured the Stars' manager. "If we can onlykeep this lead the game is ours."
"That word 'if' is a big one for only two letters," spoke Captain Rankingrimly. "But maybe we can."
Neither side scored in the eighth and then came the final trial of theStars unless there should be a tie, which would necessitate ten innings.
Joe was to the bat in this inning, and oh! how hard he tried for a run!He knocked a two bagger and stole third. There was one out when BartFerguson came up, and Bart was a heavy hitter. But somehow he did notmake good this time. He managed to connect with the ball, however, andas soon as Joe heard the crack he started for home.
But there was brilliant playing on the part of the Resolutes. With aquick throw to home the shortstop nipped Joe at the plate, and then thecatcher, hurling the ball to first, got the horsehide into the baseman'shands before Bart arrived. It was a pretty double play and retired theStars with a goose egg.
Still they had a lead of two runs and they might be able to hold theirrivals down. It was a critical point in the game. As Joe took his placeand faced the batter he felt his heart wildly throbbing. He knew he musthold himself well in hand or he would go to pieces. The crowd ofResolute sympathizers was hooting and yelling at him. Darrell saw howthings might go and ran out to the pitcher.
"Hold hard!" he whispered. "Just take it easy. Pitch a few balls to Bartand your nerve will come back. We've _got_ to win."
"And we will!" exclaimed Joe. The delivery of a few balls, while thebatter stepped away from the plate, showed Joe that he still had hisspeed and control. He was going to be wary what kind of curves hedelivered.
He struck out the first man up with an ease that at first caused himwild elation, and then he calmed himself.
"There are two more," he reasoned. "I've got to get two more--twomore."
He was almost in despair when he was hit for a two bagger by the nextplayer, and he was in a nervous perspiration about the man stealing tothird. Then Darrell signalled him to play for the batter, and Joe did,getting him out with an easy fly.
Then there was a mix-up when the next man hit, and by an error of theleft fielder the man on second, who had stolen to third, went home witha run, while the man who had bro
ught him in got to the last bag.
"That's the stuff!" yelled the crowd. "Now one more to make it a tie andanother to win!"
"Steady, boys! Steady!" called Darrell, as he saw his team on the vergeof a breakdown. "We can beat 'em!"
There were now two out, one run was in, a man was on third and a heavybatter was up--one of the best of the Resolutes.
"Swat it, Armstrong! Swat it!" cried the crowd, and the big left fieldersmiled confidently.
"Ball one!" cried the umpire, after Joe's first delivery.
There was a gasp of protest from Bart behind the plate, for the spherehad come over cleanly. Darrell signalled to the catcher to make noprotest. Joe felt a wave of anger, but he endeavored to keep cool. Butwhen the second ball was called on him he wanted to run up and thrashthe umpire. The latter was grinning derisively.
"Here's a strike!" cried Joe, in desperation and he was gratified whenArmstrong struck at it and missed.
"Why didn't you call that a ball?" asked Bart of the umpire. The latterdid not answer.
Another ball was called and then a strike. Now came the supreme moment.Two men out, a man on third waiting to rush in with the tieing run, aheavy hitter at bat and three balls and two strikes called on him. Nowonder Joe's hand trembled a little.
"Easy, old man!" called Darrell to him. "You can make him fan."
Joe thought rapidly. He had studied the batter and he thought that bydelivering a swift in-shoot he could fool Armstrong. It was his lastchance, for another ball meant that the batter would walk, and there waseven a better stick-man to follow.
Joe wound up, and sent in a swift one. His heart was fluttering, hecould hardly see, there was a roaring in his ears. And then he dimly sawArmstrong strike at the ball desperately. Almost at the same moment Joeknew he would miss it.
The ball landed in the centre of Bart's big glove with a resoundingwhack. He held it exactly where he had caught it. Joe had delivered thewinning throw.
"Strike three--batter's out!" howled the umpire, and then his voice wasdrowned in a yell of joy from the sympathizers of the Stars.
For their team had won! The Resolutes were retired with but one run inthe ninth and the final score was five to six in favor of our friends.They had beaten their old rivals on their own grounds and they had wonthe county championship!
"Great work, old man! Great!" yelled Darrell in Joe's ear. "You savedthe day for us."
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Joe modestly.
"Three cheers for Baseball Joe!" yelled Tom Davis, and how those cheersdid ring out.
"Three cheers for the Stars--they beat us fair and square!" calledCaptain Littell, and this was quite a different ending than that whichhad marked the previous game.
Some wanted to carry Joe around on their shoulders but he slipped away,and got off his uniform. Soon the team was on its way back to Riverside.
"You ought to be in a bigger team," Darrell told Joe. "You've got themaking of a great pitcher in you."
"Well, I guess I'll have to stick around here for a while yet," repliedour hero, as he thought of the fallen finances of his father. Never inall his life had he so longed for the chance to go to boarding school,and thence to college. But he knew it could not be, chiefly through thetreachery of Benjamin and Holdney. Joe felt a wave of resentment againstthem sweep over him, and his thoughts were black and bitter.
Tom walked as far as Joe's street with him. He had a silent sympathythat spoke more than mere words could have done.
"So long," he said softly as they parted. "It was a great game, Joe, andI'm almost glad you've got to stay with the Stars."
"Well, did you win?" asked his mother, as Joe entered the house--enteredit more listlessly than winning a big game would seem to warrant. "Didyou beat the Resolutes, Joe?"
"Yes, we did--why, mother, what's the matter?" cried the young pitcher,for there was a look of joy and happiness on her face, a look entirelydifferent than when he had left her after the bad news. "Hasanything--anything good happened?" he asked.
"Yes!" she exclaimed, "there has. I just had another telegram from yourfather. Everything is all right. He gets back his patents."
"No!" cried Joe, as if unable to believe the news.
"But I tell you yes!" repeated Mrs. Matson, and there was joy in hervoice. "At first your father believed that all was lost, just as hewired us. Then, most unexpectedly he tells me, they were able to obtainsome evidence from outside parties which they had long tried for invain.
"It seems that a witness for Mr. Benjamin and his side, on whom theyvery much depended, deserted them, and went over to your father and hislawyer, and----"
"Hurray for that witness, whoever he was!" cried Joe.
"Be quiet," begged Clara, "and let mother tell."
"There isn't much to tell," went on Mrs. Matson. "With the unexpectedevidence of this witness your father's lawyer won the case, almost atthe last moment. In fact your father had given up, and was about readyto leave the court when the man sent in word that he would testify forthem. That was after your father sent the telegram that came just beforeyou went off to the game, Joe."
"Oh, I'm so glad!" cried Clara.
"Now it's your turn to be quiet and listen," admonished Joe, with asmile at his sister.
"I have about finished," went on their mother. "The judge decided inyour father's favor, and he doesn't even have to share the profits ofthe invention with the harvester company or with Mr. Rufus Holdney, ashe at one time thought he would, for they have violated their contract.So we won't be poor, after all, children. Aren't you glad?"
"You bet!" exploded Joe, throwing his arms around his mother's neck.
"And we won't have to leave this nice house," added Clara, lookingaround the comfortable abode.
"Then I can go to boarding school--and pitch on the school nine; can't Imother?" cried Joe, throwing his arms around her.
"Oh, yes; I suppose so," she answered, with half a sigh. "But I do wishyou'd do something else besides play baseball."
"Something else besides baseball, mother! Why, there's nothing to becompared to it. Hurray! I'm going to boarding school! I'm going toboarding school!" and Joe, catching Clara around the waist, waltzed heraround the room. Then he caught his mother on his other arm--the armthat won the victory for the Stars that day--and her, too, he whirledabout until she cried for mercy.
"Oh, but this is great!" Joe cried when he stopped for breath. "Simplygreat! I must go and tell Tom. Maybe he can go to boarding school withme."
And whether Tom did or not, and what were our hero's further fortunes onthe diamond, will be related in the next volume, to be called: "BaseballJoe on the School Nine; or, Pitching for the Blue Banner."
There was an impromptu feast that night for the victorious Silver Starsand Joe was the hero of the occasion. He was toasted again and again,and called upon to make some remarks, which he did in great confusion.But his chums thought it the best speech they had ever heard.
"Three cheers for Baseball Joe!" called Tom Davis, and the room rangwith them, while Joe tried to hide his blushes by drinking glass afterglass of lemonade.
And now, for a time, we will take leave of him, crying as his chums didafter the great victory on the diamond: "Hurrah for Baseball Joe!"
THE END
_Dear Reader_:
If you enjoyed Baseball Joe and wish to follow his further adventures see the books listed on the following page.