DEPARTMENT OF PITCHERS AND CATCHERS |
| DIRECTOR Prospero Mullane |
ABOUT
Frank was on hand. The ball was pitched the wrong side of him. The snme thing was done a second time. A third time, too, it was coming over his left shoulder, but quick as a flash Frank swung round his bat, and ofl? it flew away behind him, high over the fence!
" My jockey, I didn't think that little fellow could hit such a clip," exclaimed Tom Robinson.
"Out, Charley Butler!"
" I'm not! I was on the base !"
"Oh! oh! oh!"
"I tell ye I was!"
"You weren't!"
"I was!"
" I tell you I hit you when you were away off here, Charley Butler," cried a very excited boy.
"I say you didn't!" .
" Then I won't play, that's all," said the excited boy.
" Umpire! Umpire! Leave it to the Umpire !"
Up came George.
" What say you, Umpire ?"
" Why, you don't play here as we do in New York," said George.
" How ?" asked several.
" You see," replied George, " in New York you can't hit a boy with the ball. You can only touch him with it."
" Who cares for New York !" exclaimed Joe Harkins. "That isn't the way we play here. Why, half the fun is in getting a good shot at a fellow!"
" Well, then," said George," if that's the rule, I think Charley there is out."
" Out" they all cried, and so Charley had to give up.
And so, one after another, all the players on that side were caught or put out, excepting Jim Feank's Misfobtune. 53
and Frank. It began to be a serious business for Tom Robinson and his fellows. They changed pitchers and catchers, and tried all sorts of ways, but for a long time it was of no use.
" How many runs have Jim and Frank made ?" asked one of the boys.
" This will be twenty-one!" said George.
Jim was going around, and Frank had the bat. But his short arms, and legs too, had become pretty tired, and he couldn't hit such a blow as he did at first. On came the ball, and Frank struck it, but this time it went skimming along the ground straight into the hands of Joe Harkins. Now, look out, Master Frank! He is on the first base, all safe. But Joe makes a feint, and Frank, not so watchful as usual, starts! Whiz! Plump! right on the calf of his leg! I tell you, it stung! And for a moment the tears came into Frank's eyes, but he didn't let anybody see that he cared. " Perhaps I'll get a chance at you, old chap," he said to himself, and he remembered it.
" Out, out, out, hurrah, all out!"