CHAPTER XXVI
SAM RESIGNS
"Those desperate men! You must have them arrested at once!" exclaimedMrs. Matson when Joe, a little later, had reached home, having left thehorse and carriage at the local livery stable to be claimed. "You oughtto go to the police at once, John! Why think of what might have happenedto Joe," for the boy had told the whole story.
"Oh, it wasn't so bad," said Joe who, now that the excitement was over,and he had so completely turned the tables on the plotters, was ratherinclined to laugh at the experience.
"There are worse things than that done to get possession of valuablepatents," said Mr. Matson. "Those men are evidently desperate, thoughwhy Mr. Holdney should turn against me I cannot understand. But I wouldrather wait, and take no action right away. My work is almost finishedand if all goes well I shall soon be independent of the harvesterpeople. If, however, there is a slip-up I will be dependent on myposition for a living. I think I will wait and see what develops."
But in the morning there was a new turn to affairs. It was announced atthe harvester factory that Mr. Benjamin had gone away for an indefinitestay, and a new manager had his place. This made it unnecessary for Mr.Matson to say anything. He wrote a strong letter of protest to Mr.Holdney, and then worked harder than ever to get his patents in shape sohe would be fully protected in them.
As for Joe he said nothing to any of his chums about his experience. Therig was claimed later by a man who would not give his name, and whodrove off hurriedly, as if he feared arrest.
"And now I'm going to get back to baseball," announced the youngpitcher.
His arm got better rapidly after the Academy game, and he was soonpitching in practice with his former vim and vigor. He was now regardedas the regular substitute twirler for the Silver Stars.
Sam Morton, too, was regular in his practice, and there seemed to besomething different about him. He was more careful in his conduct, andnot as surly as he had been. He accepted criticism in a better spirit,and in one game against the scrub he did such unusually excellent workthat the manager complimented him.
"Just keep that up on Saturday," said Darrell, "and we won't let theFairdale Blues have a run."
"Oh, I'll be there with the goods all right," boasted Sam. He glanced atJoe as he said this as much as to intimate that his rival would not geta chance in the box.
The Fairdale Blues were a strong team, and, as they had beaten the Starsseveral times, and had also won from the Resolutes, who were consideredthe strongest team in the county, more than the usual interest attachedto the coming contest.
It was to be played on the Stars' grounds, and early on the day of thegame the grandstand and bleachers began to fill. The Blues arrived inseveral big carryalls with a noisy crowd of "rooters" carrying horns,bells and clappers--anything with which to make a racket.
"They'll get Sam's goat if he isn't careful," observed Rodney Burke,when the Stars went out to practice.
"Don't you fool yourself," retorted Sam. "I'm going to pitch a no-hitno-run game to-day."
"That's like Sam--boasting as usual," commented Rodney.
"Well, I think he'll make good," said an admirer of the pitcher.
"Wait until you see what kind of hitters the Blues have," cautionedRodney. "They may knock Sam out of the box. Then if Joe goes in----"
"Aw, Joe won't get a chance to-day," was the retort. "He hasn't hadenough practice."
"Look what he did to the Academy team," reminded Rodney.
And then further talk was stopped, for the gong rang to clear thediamond. The game was about to begin.
The Stars took the field, for they were to bat last, and Sam faced hisfirst opponent with a smile of confidence on his face. It faded away amoment later, however, as the lad knocked as pretty a three bagger ashad been seen on the grounds in many a day.
"That's the stuff!"
"Line 'em out!"
"Oh, we're on to his curves all right!" yelled the crowd. Joe, who wason the bench as a reserve pitcher, jumped to his feet and watched theball roll past Tom who was playing centre. It looked almost as if thebatter would come on home, but he held third and the fears of the Starssubsided.
"Fool him now, Sam," called Darrell to the pitcher.
"Make him give you a nice one," was the advice the next batter got fromhis friends. And he did, though it was only good for one bag. However,the run came in, and there were gloomy hearts in the camp of the SilverStars.
Sam managed to strike out the next man, and his confidence came back.But it was only for a short time. The crowd of Blue "rooters" was makinga terrific racket and this may have gotten on Sam's nerves, at any ratehe gave the next man his base on balls and was later hit for two twobaggers.
"Oh, we've got his goat! We've got 'em going! Everybody take a run!"yelled the visiting captain, jumping up and down at the third basecoaching line.
Darrell ran over to Sam.
"You've got to pull yourself together," he said quickly. "We can'tafford to lose this game."
"I'm doing the best I can," retorted Sam. "The ball slips."
"Don't let it slip--slips are dangerous," said the manager sharply."You've got to do better or----"
"Play ball!" yelled the umpire and Darrell ran back to his place atfirst base. Sam scowled at him, and then wound up for his next delivery.
Somehow they managed to get three out, but there were five runs in theBlue frame when that inning ended, and only two for the Stars.
"We can't stand this," said Rankin to the manager.
"No, if Sam doesn't improve this inning I'm going to put in Joe."
"Sam will raise a row."
"I don't care if he does. Why doesn't he pitch decent ball if he wantsto hold his place? They're laughing at the Stars now, and they didn'tused to."
"I know it. Well, maybe he'll improve."
But Sam didn't. He could not seem to control the ball, his curves brokejust about where the batters wanted them and they knocked out three runsthat inning.
"Matson bats for Morton!" announced the umpire when it came the turn ofthe Stars and the change had been mentioned to the score keepers byDarrell.
"What does that mean?" cried Sam, striding to where the captain andmanager sat.
"It means that Joe is going to pitch the rest of this game," was thequiet answer.
"He is?" Sam's voice rose high in anger.
"He certainly is. You can't seem to do it, Sam. I'm sorry, but we can'tafford to lose. We're near the tail end of the league now."
Sam shot a look at the captain. Rankin nodded his head to confirm whatthe manager had said. Then the deposed pitcher strode over to where thescore keepers sat. Taking up a piece of paper and a pencil he rapidlywrote something and handed it to Darrell.
"What's this?" asked the manager.
"My resignation from the Silver Star Baseball Club," snapped Sam. "I'mdone pitching for you. It was all a put-up job to get me out, and thatMatson lad in. I'm through," and he turned aside.
"Very well," assented Darrell quietly. "If you feel that way about itperhaps it is better that you quit. But I'm sorry."
"Play ball!" yelled the umpire.
"Joe, bat for Sam and then take the box," said the manager, and therewas a little subdued applause from the other Star players on the bench.It was their way of congratulating Joe.
Baseball Joe of the Silver Stars; or, The Rivals of Riverside Page 26