Baseball Joe, Home Run King; or, The Greatest Pitcher and Batter on Record

rclay, with a smile, as he picked up the ball and steppe

r the country as "Baseball Joe," the king pitcher of the Giants. "But unt

the corner of the plate. Joe made a mighty s

for that one, eh?" laughed Jim, a

t time," grinned Joe. "I'm

heavily. The ball soared out between right and center, and the outfielders covering that position gave one look at it and then turned and ran with t

um and best friend, laughed outright as he r

e run, Jim,"

t hit was good for two home runs. Th

hit?" laughed Mylert, the burly catcher

he prepared to try his luck again. "Gee, Joe, if that had hap

ocky and of medium height, with hair that had begun to grey at the temples. The other was stout and ruddy, with a twinkle in his eyes that bespoke good nature. Both were

asked McRae, the manager of th

followed it as far as the fence. That was a whale of a wallop.

actice," mused McRae. "Perhaps

ll came over like a bullet. It had a hop on it too, but Joe gauged it just right. I tell

"One to cover the mound and the other to use as a pinch hitter or p

. Louis," remarked Robson. "I'll bet the Cardinal's manager feels like

ht, there'd be no trading done. I don't mind saying that I throw out my chest a litt

pionship tucked away if it hadn't been for his great work in the Series,"

d McRae. "Here's hoping

yourself that he's been going great guns in practice. And even at that he hasn

fear that the trip around the world had taken something out of him. You know what a strain he

on the batting end. When Burkett quit, it took away a good deal of our hitting strength, and you've seen that Mylert is slipping. On the form he's shown in

hat Larry, too, is slow in rounding into form. Instead of lining them out, he's sending them up in

the season opens. Some of the rookies look pretty good to me, and if the old-timers fall down we may be able to fill their places all right.

get down to the hotel for dinner, began to gather up their bats preparatory to jumping into the bus which was waiting ou

llows leg it down to the hotel. It's only two miles, and you need the exerci

been strenuous. But there was no help for it, and they dropped into a dog trot that was q

gular clothes, and were soon at the table with an appetite that swept the boar

e room they shared together when they passed McRae and Robbie, w

and they went over to wh

ey dropped, "our spring practice is over and I don't mind saying that I'm feeling

eel," answered Joe, and J

wo are concerned. Just now you're right at the top of your form, and I don't want to take any chances on your going stale. So I'm going to let you rest up for the next week or ten

the same thought was in the mind of

in practice. The regulars will go along with me, while Robbie will take the second string men and the

ad found his voice

he said. "I suppose you want us th

anager. "Robbie will see to your

had been watching the boys'

? And don't you remember those two pretty girls that were with us on the World Tour? And didn't we hear Joe telling Jim a few days ago that his sweethear

the faces of the young men-fac

soft spot in my heart for the lads and their colleens. Fix it up, boys, to suit yourselves. As long as yo

" and after thanking McRae hurried to their r

whole week or more to ourselves, an

Jim. "Mine's more than

'd dare show my face there without bringing you along? Clara would never forgive me. Neither wo

tled about for the time-table; and with heads close together the young men were so

hange three or four different times with all sorts of bad con

re's a line that will get us to Martinsville early to-morrow morn

auto there? I know Hank Bixby who keeps a garage there and has autos for hire. He used to live in Riverside, and played with me on the old school

o you?" asked Jim. "Remember it

bron. Just beyond that there's a steep hill that will give the car something to do. But Hank will give me a machine that can climb it, and, besid

y open. He put out his head and looked down the corridor. Not satisfied with that,

hum to the door, looked at

th you?" he queried.

. "I thought I saw somebod

of sarcasm. "It wouldn't be at all surpr

f our boys," ret

Joe, a little impatiently. "Com

now only too well," Jim repli

udden interest. "The fellow tha

fellow you licked within an inch of

y that we'd run across that rascal in this little traini

hat we should run across him here by accident. If he's here, he's come with some purpose. And that

kles ache now when I think of it. But if he's lo

oking to get even for the first one you gave him. You

lly, Jim, I think you're mistaken. It seems too improbable.

admitted Jim. "I only saw him side-face,

hink of pleasanter things. Our train goes at six, and we've got lots to do in getting our duds packe

snugly ensconced in the day coach, as the little road had no sleeping cars, and even if they had the frequent changes they had to make would have made a sleeper not w

ind a large number of the inhabitants, chiefly the younger men, at the station. Still another g

oe, as he looked in surprise at th

ed Joe. "Maybe there's b

came bustling across the street, his fac

" he exclaimed, as

the handshake. "Where do you get th

bit shy about calling you by your first name. I got your wire and mentioned it to a fellow or two, and by heck it was all over town i

xpressions of good will and admiration that were showered upon him. Jim also came in for his share of the crowd's interest as a promising and rapidly rising pitcher of the baseball champions of the world. It wa

ted off, amid a waving of hands and

settled down by the side of his chum and the car purred alon

If they'd wrung this old wing of mine much more,

lties of greatne

Joe, as he put on added spee

nder his breath, as he thou

dreaming of him, as without her knowledge he was speeding toward her. She had been visiting at his father's home as the guest of his sister Clara. Sinc

was determined that it should take place soon, and he hoped that now h

in love with her at their first meeting, and he had made up his mind that on this visit

earing, and in the faint light of the spring morning they could see a steep hill a little way ahead. At the side of the road r

," remarked Joe, as he tightened his grasp on the wheel and put his foot

ottom of the hill. Joe peered forward, an

the road, was a mass of heavy timbers. To str

as a steep cliff. On the

wheel around, the car crashed through a fence at the side of the road, s