“That’s what I said,” snorted the umpire.
“Well, then,” crowed Everett triumphantly, “why didn’t Curry go back to third and touch the bag before he lit out for home? He has to do that on a caught fly ball, hasn’t he?”
The umpire looked fairly stumped. Here was something on which the rules were explicit. It was certain that Curry should have returned to the base and it was equally certain that he hadn’t. Mackay had caught him half-way between third and home.
But McRae was equal to the occasion.
“Suppose he did have to,” he cried. “You said that Mackay hadn’t touched him and he’s free to go back yet.”
“And I’m free to touch him with the ball,” Mackay came back at him.
“But the ball isn’t in play,” put in Robbie, 131 adding his mite to the general confusion. “You called time when you came in to settle this.”
“Who wouldn’t be an umpire?” laughed Jim to Joe, as he saw the look of despair on that worried individual’s face.
“The most glorious mixup I ever saw on the ball field,” answered Joe.
“‘How happy he could be with either were ’tother dear charmer away,’” chuckled Jim, pointing to the two pugnacious disputants on either side of the umpire.