CHAPTER XIV
DEEPENING MYSTERY
After a little more chaffing, Joe left Hughson and walked over towardsthe Giants' dugout. He felt a touch on his shoulder and, turningaround, saw Jackwell.
"What is it, Dan?" he asked, noting at the same time that the playerwas pale.
"I don't feel quite in shape, Captain," said Jackwell in a voice thatwas far from steady. "I was wondering whether you couldn't put someonein my place to-day."
"What's the matter?" asked Joe. "Look here, Jackwell," he went onsharply, "are you trying to pull some of that ptomaine poisoning stuffagain? Because, if you are, I tell you right now, you're wasting yourtime."
"It--it isn't that," stammered Jackwell, nervously fingering his cap."I just feel kind of unstrung, shaky-like. I'm afraid I can't play thebag as it ought to be played, that's all."
"Jackwell," commanded Joe sternly, "come right out like a man and tellme what's the matter with you. Lay your cards on the table. Are youplaying for your release? Do you want to go to some other team?"
"No, no! Nothing like that!" ejaculated Jackwell, in alarm. "I'd ratherplay for the Giants than for any other team in the country."
"Well, I'll tell you straight that you won't be playing for the Giantsor any other team very long if this sort of thing keeps on," said Joesharply. "What do you think this is, a sanitarium for invalids? Here,McRae's taken you from the bush league and given you the chance of yourlives with the best team in the country. Do you want to go back to thesticks?"
"Nothing like that," muttered Jackwell, twisting about uneasily.
"Then go out and play the game," commanded Joe. "I'm getting fed upwith all this mystery stuff. There'll have to be a show-down beforelong, unless you get back your nerve."
Jackwell said no more and went back to the bench, where he had awhispered colloquy with Bowen, who seemed equally nervous.
When they went out to their positions, Joe noticed that both had theircaps drawn down over their faces much more than usual. It could nothave been to keep the sun out of their eyes, for clouds obscured thesky and rain threatened.
Fortunately, that is, for the Giants, for despite Hughson's prediction,it was not the Reds' winning day. Jim pitched for the Giants, andthough he was nicked for seven hits, he was never in danger and heldhis opponents all the way. He did not have to extend himself, as histeammates, by free batting, gave him a commanding lead as early as thethird inning, and after that the Giants simply breezed in.
Allison was the first of the Cincinnati pitchers to fall a victim tothe fury of the Giants' bats. In the third inning, with the Giantsone run to the good, Barrett, the first man up, sent a sharp singleto left. Iredell followed with another in almost identically thesame place, and an error by the Red shortstop filled the bases. ThenJackwell singled sharply over second, bringing in two runs.
It was clear that Allison's usefulness for that day was at an end, andHughson replaced him by Elkins. Bowen lifted a sacrifice to Gerry incenter and another run came over the plate. Mylert doubled and Jackwellscampered home. Curry hit to third and Mylert was tagged on the baseline. Burkett was passed, as was also Wheeler. Then Joe, who, in thenew shake-up of the batting order, occupied the position of "clean-up"man, justified the name by coming to the plate and hammering out amighty triple that cleared the bases. There he was left, however, forLarry, up for the second time in the same inning, popped an easy flythat was gathered in by the second baseman. Seven runs had been thefruit of that avalanche of hits in that fateful inning.
From that time on it seemed only a question of how big would be thescore. Two other pitchers were called into service by Hughson beforethe game was over, and although the torrent of Giant hits had almostspent its force, they came often enough to keep the Red outfielders onthe jump.
In the eighth the Reds made a rally and succeeded in getting three menon bases with only one man out. But the rally ended suddenly when Jimmade Haskins, the star batter of the Reds, hit to short for a snappydouble play that ended the inning.
No further runs were made by either side, and the first game of theWestern invasion went into the Giants' column by a score of ten to two.
In the clubhouse, after the game, Joe asked Jackwell and Bowen to stayafter the others had gone, in order that he might have a word with them.
"I don't want to pry into your personal affairs, boys," he said to themkindly, when they were at last left alone. "I'd be the last one to dothat. But I'm captain of this team, and I've got to see that my menare in fit condition to play. And if there's anything that prevents youshowing your best form, it's up to me to find just what it is."
They made no answer, and Joe went on:
"I notice that whatever it is that's bothering you seems to affect youboth. You both were sick, or said you were, at the same time the otherday. You, Jackwell, told me that you were not feeling fit to-day, andalthough Bowen didn't say anything, I suppose it was because you toldhim it was of no use. I noticed that right after your talk with me, youwent back to Bowen and held a whispered conversation with him. And whenyou went out on the field, you both pulled your caps over your facesmore than usual.
"Then, too, neither of you played your usual game to-day. Luckily,we had such a big lead that the errors didn't lose the game, butin a close game any one of them might have been fatal. That was aridiculously easy grounder, Jackwell, that you fumbled in the fourth,and in the sixth you failed to back up Iredell on that throw-in byCurry. And that was a bad muff you, Bowen, made of Haskins' fly tocenter, to say nothing of the wild throw you made to second rightafterwards.
"Now, what's the trouble? Let's have a showdown. Speak up."
Baseball Joe, Captain of the Team; or, Bitter Struggles on the Diamond Page 14
