“That was the double curve the other way,” he said.
Hodge trotted back to the netting and got the ball. As he came down with it, he said:
“I’d like to know when you got onto that quirk. I’ve heard of ‘zigzag curve pitching,’ but I never took any stock in it. I don’t see how it is possible to give a ball two motions, so it will curve in and then turn and curve out without stopping.”
“I discovered the trick by accident,” confessed Frank. “It’s a hard one, and no man can use it much, for it will knock the stuffing out of his wrist if he does. You know a drop-ball pitcher soon uses himself up. Well, this is worse on a fellow than pitching the drop.”
“What does it do?”
“Makes the back of the wrist lame, right here,” and Frank touched the spot. “There is a snap to it that does the job. The motion of the ball when it leaves the fingers gives it one curve, and the other curve is given to it by the snap of the wrist.”
“Say, Merry.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t tell anybody about this.”
“Don’t worry.”