Read The Rival Pitchers: A Story of College Baseball Page 16

  CHAPTER XVI

  TOM MAKES A DISCOVERY

  There was consternation among the freshmen and their supporters. With adivided team, part of it being so far away from the grounds that it waspractically impossible to arrive on time, and on a wrong road at that,the situation was enough to discourage any nine.

  "What made you let that fellow tell you where to go?" demanded Sid ofthe motorman.

  "Well, he said he was your manager, and I believed him."

  "Manager!" cried Holly Cross. "Yes, we need a manager. We need a nurseand a governess, that's what we need. To think that twenty of thebrightest freshmen at Randall have been duped by one soph! Wow! I musthave blood!" and he began to dance and howl like a stage Indian.

  "Well," said Langridge disgustedly after a few minutes' thought, whichperiod was occupied on the part of the others by the use of languagemore strong and rugged than polite, "the only thing to do is to goback. Make the best time you can and see what we can do. Shift the car,motorman."

  "I can't."

  "Why not?"

  "Because I got orders not to start back until half-past four. You see,this is a single-track road, and I might run into a car coming in theopposite direction. We've got to stay here until four-thirty."

  This was worse than ever, and a howl went up. But suddenly Sid, who hadbeen narrowly looking at the motorman, took a step toward him. Hereached up, grabbed his beard and pulled it off.

  "Hayden!" he exclaimed as there was revealed to view the features of oneof the liveliest of the sophomore class. "By all the gods that onOlympus dwell, it's Hayden!"

  "At your service, gentlemen," exclaimed Hayden with a mocking bow. "Thisis a little pleasure trip that Fenmore and I arranged for you. I hope youenjoy it," and with another mocking bow he slipped off the controllerhandle and leaped over the dashboard of the car.

  "We hired the regular motorman to let us take his place," he went on. "Iguess you don't play ball to-day," and he disappeared in the woods witha tantalizing laugh.

  "Let's catch him!" cried Holly Cross.

  "Sure! Let's scalp him and tie him to a tree," proposed DutchHousenlager.

  "What's the use?" asked Sid. "He knows this part of the country like abook, for he's been hunting in it. Better let him go. He'll only laughthe more at us."

  "But what are we to do?" demanded Langridge. "We don't want to losethe game." He was very vexed, for he knew it would reflect on him asmanager.

  "The only thing I see to do is to walk back until we meet another carand then send on word of this abandoned one," said Sid. "It's a longwalk, but----"

  "Hark!" cried Tom Parsons suddenly. "An auto is coming along the road."

  "Maybe some of us can get a ride," proposed Phil Clinton. "We can go totown and hire a rig for the rest of you."

  Along the road rumbled some big vehicle. There came in sight a big autotruck, ponderous and heavy. It was one of several used by a milk concernto transport cans to the railroad depot.

  "That's the stuff!" cried Tom. "Maybe he'll take us to Dodville if wepay him."

  The man was hailed and the situation explained to him. He looked dubiousand shook his head.

  "Why can't you take us?" asked Phil. "You say you have no load on yourtruck, and it isn't much out of your way. We'll pay you well."

  "Maybe you would," admitted the man, "but I've heard of you students.If some of you ran off with a trolley car, there's no tellin' but whatyou'd take this truck away from me at some lonely spot and go cruisin'off like Captain Kidd."

  "No, no," promised the lads eagerly. "We won't cut up a bit."

  They had some difficulty in convincing the man of this, but did sofinally, and he allowed them to pile in. They had to stand up and theroad was rough. They were jolted about, for the truck was not built foreasy riding, but they did not mind that, for they felt that there was achance to play the game, and they urged the man to put on all speed.

  THE MAN ALLOWED THEM TO PILE IN]

  They reached Dodville just as the game was about to be awarded to thepreparatory school on a forfeit. The members of the Randall nine who hadarrived in the second trolley car, which safely made the trip, could notexplain the absence of their companions.

  The game was started, but it was not remarkable for any brilliant workon the part of the college freshmen. In fact the other students playedall around them. Possibly this was due to the episode that had occurred,for Langridge was nervous and threw wild, giving a number of men theirbases on balls. Kerr asked him to let Tom pitch, but Langridge refusedarrogantly and with bitter words against the scrub twirler. Nor wouldhe consent that Evert should fill the box.

  "I'll pitch!" he cried excitedly. "I'll strike 'em out next inning. Youwatch."

  Tom happened to be in the dressing-room when it was the turn of Randallto bat, and Langridge came in. The 'varsity pitcher did not see hisrival, but going to where his valise was containing his clothing, hetook something from it. Tom saw Langridge put a bottle to his lips.

  "I wonder if he's taking medicine," he thought.

  A moment later the pitcher hurried from the room as his name was calledto bat. Tom walked to a window that gave a view of the grounds. As hepassed Langridge's valise he smelled a pungent, alcoholic odor. Hestarted and for a moment could not tell what it was. Then it came tohim.

  "Liquor! He's been drinking liquor!" he almost exclaimed aloud. "He'sbroken the training rules. I wonder--I wonder if this is what Sid hintedat--if this is what Mr. Lighton meant!"

  From the diamond there came a sharp crack. It was a bat meeting aswiftly pitched ball with that inspiring sound that indicates a fairhit. Tom saw Langridge speeding for first base, while Randall lads wereyelling at the top of their voices.

  "It's a three-bagger!" cried Tom delightedly, and so it proved, Langridgebringing in a run a moment later on a sacrifice hit by Holly Cross.