“Bunt,” said the manager to the next man, “toward third.”
The jay was grinning and the crowd shouting. The pitcher gave the batter a straight one, thinking the same trick might be again attempted. The batter bunted as directed, and the ball rolled toward third.
The jay sprang for it, but the catcher rushed in and bothered him. Had the catcher let the ball alone, it seemed that the jay might have stopped the runner at first. Getting the ball, the catcher started to throw, but the pitcher caught his arm and held it.
“No good!” he said. “Let that critter go. Better do that than ter make a bad throw.”
The catcher was angry, but Trueman declared his judgment right.
“Now,” said the jay, in a low tone to the catcher, “look out fer a bunt toward fust. It’s ther play.”
“Give him that double twist,” advised the catcher.
“Ef you let it git past ye that chap down to fust’d git a sack ur two. I don’t dast to try it.”
The judgment of the jay was correct, for the next hitter bunted toward first. Being prepared, the catcher got the bunt, but the runner on first had obtained a good start, and so it was impossible to stop him. However, the batter was thrown out at first.