Fast Nine; or, A Challenge from Fairfield Page 13

  CHAPTER XI.

  READY FOR THE BATTLE OF THE BATS.

  "GOOD NIGHT again, colonel," said Elmer, thinking to start for home oncemore.

  "Ah, are you there, my boy?" said the old gentleman, turning around."Well, perhaps you wouldn't mind waiting over a little, and acting aswitness at a little business ceremony that Phil and myself want to carrythrough?"

  "Certainly not, sir," replied the boy; "only I was thinking that, sincemy wheel is out of the running, I will be very late in getting home, andI promised father to leave at eleven, you know."

  "Oh, that's easily fixed, Elmer! I'll just call him on the phone, if youthink he's up still, and explain matters. And Sam here, will hitch upthe team, and take you home presently. Now, please don't object, for youknow I like to have my way. Both of you come with me into the house."

  Once in the library, Elmer saw that the man Phil was not such adesperate looking scoundrel as he had imagined from hearing him mutterand threaten. Indeed, he had a very decent face, which was now red withthe confusion and shame that overwhelmed him because of his recentmiserable action.

  Readily he put his signature to a paper the gentleman wrote out, andElmer signed his name as a witness. He knew that it all depended uponthe ability of the repentant man to make good. If he could show himselfworthy of trust, his future was safe in the hands of that fine oldgentleman.

  "I'll never forget this, kunnel," he said, brokenly, as he stood thereand looked his employer in the face firmly. "You're goin' tuh make a manuh me. I don't deserve it a bit, either; for if I got what Ideserved----"

  "There, that will do, Phil," interrupted the colonel. "If we all gotwhat we deserved there'd be few of us walking down the street to-morrow,I'm afraid. But, see here, don't you think you owe some thanks to thisbright young chap for what happened? If he hadn't just happened tooverhear you talking to your friend, and crept after you, to shut you inthe tool house, possibly you might have found a chance to carry out yourharebrained scheme, and then there could be no turning back. In my mindyou owe a great deal to Elmer Chenowith here."

  "I jest reckons I do, sir. It was mighty plucky for him tuh foller us,and tuh do that clever trick. I'd like to shake hands with the boy, andthank him, if so be he's your friend, kunnel," said the former gardener.

  The old gentleman had before this succeeded in catching Mr. Chenowithover the wire, and assured him that circumstances had arisen to keepElmer beyond the time he had promised; but that he would send him homepresently in his vehicle.

  "And you've reason to be proud of that lad of yours, Chenowith," he hadadded. "To-morrow I hope to see you, and tell you something that'shappened here, in which he bore a part manfully. Good night, now!"

  He chuckled as he turned away from the phone, knowing that Elmer'sfather would now be eager to ask questions when the boy reached home.

  As the carriage lights could be seen just below on the drive showingthat Sam had hitched up as he was ordered, and there was really no causefor further delay, Elmer shook hands with the colonel again and wentout.

  "I'll be after my wheel on Monday morning, sir," he said at parting;"when I can see to put a plug in that tire. I hope Phil didn't smash thewhole thing when he got working with that ax."

  "If he did I'll see that you have a new wheel, my boy; and, indeed, Ithink that I'm deeply in your debt as it is," replied the gentleman,smiling. "Just think what a big difference it would have made, to myselfand Phil Lally here, if you hadn't had that puncture. I'm not the man toforget, Elmer. Good night, and God bless you!"

  As Elmer lay back in the comfortable carriage, and was drawn homeward bythe spirited bays, he chuckled more than once at the idea of a healthylad like himself being thus treated, as though he were an invalid.

  "Only that the colonel seemed determined, and he does not like anyone tooppose him, I sure would have declined this lift," he said to himself.

  But on the whole, he could not say that he would have had anythingdifferent from the way events had come to pass, even though he had themaking of the chart. And he was inclined to agree with the colonel indeclaring that if any misfortune could ever be looked upon in the lightof a lucky accident, that puncture which he had given his tire just ashe reached the place he was heading for was such.

  When he arrived home he found his father waiting for him. And since thegentleman's curiosity had been stirred by those words of the colonel, hewas bent on asking questions until he learned the whole facts.

  Elmer was not a boaster, and he made no attempt to show himself up inthe light of a hero. But reading between the lines of his story, hisfather saw that there might be still more to hear when he met thecolonel in the morning, as he was now fully determined to do.

  Perhaps, after such an exciting experience, the boy did not sleep assoundly as he might have done under ordinary conditions. But the eventhad made a powerful impression on his mind, and the generous conduct ofhis old friend toward his erring servant had served to teach Elmer onemore lesson that might at some future day bring forth good fruit.

  He did not mention the matter save to his best chum, Mark; and even hewas placed under bonds never to reveal it. The colonel had asked this asa favor, for he did not want the story to get to the ears of PhilLally's old mother.

  Of course, it would soon be known that he had taken Phil back again ashis head gardener, and that all matters against the young man had beenquashed; but that was nobody's business save the two involved.

  Monday came, and about every boy in and around Hickory Ridge, upongetting out of bed that morning, made a bee line for the window andconsulted the signs of the weather. For it was certainly going to be afamous day for those who were fond of the great national game, since theBoy Scouts of the neighboring town of Fairfield were due to meet theirnine in a struggle for victory.

  And not only Hickory Ridge and Fairfield, but Basking Ridge, where thegame was to be played on neutral territory, seemed baseball mad.

  Elmer himself had hardly gotten downstairs before he heard the phonebell ring, and, as no one else was around, he answered it. Just as hesurmised, it proved to be one of his chums, Red Huggins, after him forinformation.

  "How about this weather business, Elmer?" demanded the other, as soon ashe learned that he was in touch with the patrol leader.

  "Well, what about it?" returned Elmer, chuckling. "I hope none of youthink to hold me responsible for whatever comes."

  "Oh, shucks! you know better than that," retorted Red, eagerly; "butwe've heard you explain just how they know what sort of a day it's goingto be, away up there in the Canadian wilderness, and we want youropinion right now. Ted and Toby are over at my house and I'mcommissioned to hold you up and get an answer, so's to know what toexpect. See?"

  "But see here, why d'ye want to know how the weather away up in theNorthwest is going to be to-day? Have you got any wheat planted; or doyou mean to put the steam plow into that quarter section, if the signsare favorable?" demanded Elmer.

  "Aw, let up on a feller, Elmer, can't you?" went on the other, in whatwas meant to be a wheedling tone. "We want you to make use of theknowledge you picked up away off yonder, to tell us what sort ofafternoon it's going to be. Get that, now? Is there any rain storm insight? Will it be as hot as the dickens; or are we in for a cold wave?We want to know, and we depend on you to tell us. Open up now, won'tyou, and be good?"

  "Oh, is that all you want?" laughed Elmer. "Why, if I could tell youwhat's sure going to happen eight hours ahead I'd hire out to thegovernment as Old Probs."

  "But you can hit it pretty fair, Elmer," persisted Red. "Come on, now,and tell us. We've seen you do it lots of times, and nearly every shotcame true. Now, some of us think we're due for a rain, because the skywas a little red this morning. And you know that old saying, 'Red inthe morning is the sailor's warning.' What do you think? Give us a drivenow. Elmer."

  "Well, I took a squint around from my window, and so far as I couldsee----"

  "Yes, sir; but go on, Elmer," broke in the impatient Red
, nervously.

  "It was a beautiful morning."

  "Oh, rats! We all know that much, Elmer; but the signs, what do theysay? If it pours down rain the game's all off, and that means bad luckto our fellows," Red went on, being addicted to a belief in all sorts ofsigns and tokens; just as the boy from South Carolina, Chatz Maxfield,was a believer in ghosts, and charms, and the hind foot of a rabbitkilled in a graveyard at midnight by the light of the full moon.

  "Don't worry, Red," Elmer went on, purposely holding back the desiredinformation, since he owed this comrade more than one long-standing debtbecause of tricks practiced by the prank-loving Red.

  "Then the signs _are_ favorable; do you mean that, Elmer?" begged theother.

  "The sky looks good to me. The little color you saw was only the rosyflush of a summer dawn. And the breeze seems to be coming from the rightquarter, Red. I don't think it's going to be a roasting day for August."

  "That sounds all right to me, Elmer. On the whole, then, you predictthat we'll have a decent afternoon; just the kind to spur every fellowon to doing his best licks?" continued the boy at the other end of thewire, with joy permeating his tones.

  "I never predict, and you know it," laughed Elmer. "All I can say isthat just now things look good. If the clouds don't come up, and itstays as clear as it is right now, the chances are we'll not get wet."

  "Oh, rats! but you've said enough to tell me what you think, and that'sthe main thing. Do we practice any this morning, Elmer?" asked Red.

  "The last thing I heard from Captain Lil Artha, he said he didn't want astale team on his hands this afternoon, so there'll be no regularpractice this A.M. I expect to toss a few over with Mark, just to makesure I've got control; but as the game promises to be a pretty warmaffair, it's best everybody keeps rested up until we get in practicehalf an hour before the umpire calls on us to play. Anything more, Red?"

  "No, nothing; only the boys here want me to ask you how your arm feels."

  "Fine and dandy," laughed Elmer. "Couldn't be in better shape. If thoseswatters from Fairfield straighten out my curves this afternoon, it'llonly be my own fault. You won't hear me complaining I wasn't incondition, for I am."

  "Bully boy! We all know what that means when you're feeling right. I'msorry for Matt Tubbs and his crowd, that's all," Red said over the wire;whereupon Elmer, unable to stand for any more of this palaver, cut himshort by hooking up the receiver.

  When later on he went out with Mark to do a little preliminary pitching,every boy they met seemed to fall in behind, until there was quite animposing procession heading for the field where Hickory Ridge athleticcontests were always pulled off.

  They understood that everything depended on the ability of the pitcherof the Hickory Ridge Boy Scout nine to baffle these heavy hitters fromFairfield; and hence, everyone wanted to see for himself just what Elmercould do on the eve of the great and important battle with the bats.

  Elmer would much rather have found a chance to do his practicing insecret; but at the same time he sympathized with these kids who werebaseball mad. So for half an hour he and Mark worked their many littlegames, and exchanged signals that were supposed to be known only tothemselves, while groups of fellows lounged under the neighboring treesand kept tabs on their actions, commenting favorably on every play thatstruck them as cleverly done.

  Later on Elmer, having donned his sweater because of his heatedcondition, was waiting for Mark to join him, the latter having gone offto speak to a girl who was passing in a little pony cart, when he wassuddenly startled to have a hand laid on his arm and hear little JasperMerriweather say in a thrilling tone:

  "It's all off, Elmer; they've got you marked for the slaughter. If youpitch this afternoon, those sluggers from Fairfield are going to justknock you out of the box. It's a mean shame, that's what it is, now!"