“Has a bowie knife skinned a mile!” ejaculated Curry, expressing the general sentiment.
Joe hated to pose as a hero but it was some time before the crowd would let him get away and rejoin the girls who were waiting for him.
All the plaudits of the throng were tame compared with what he read in the eyes of Mabel and his sister.
The baseball teams stayed nearly a week in Manila, making short excursions in the suburbs as far as it could be done with safety. Two games were played, one between the Giants and All-Americans, which resulted in favor of the latter, and another between the Giants and a picked nine from the army post.
Many of Uncle Sam’s army boys had been fine amateur players and a few had come from professional teams, so that they were able to put up a gallant fight, although they were, of course, no match for the champions of the world.
“But they certainly put up a fine game,” was Joe’s comment. “They had two pitchers who had some good stuff in ’em.”
“That’s just what I was thinking,” returned Jim.
“One of those pitchers used to play ball on a professional team from Los Angeles,” said 187 McRae, who was standing near. “I understand he had quite a record.”
“I wonder what made him give up pitching and join the army,” remarked Jim curiously.
“Oh, I suppose it was the love of adventure,” answered the manager.