But, to his surprise and consternation, he was sent to the showers before the fourth inning was over. Almost from the start he was batted freely, but one or two sparkling plays by his fielders pulled him through. But in the fourth came the slaughter.
Base hits fairly rained from his opponents’ bats and in a twinkling the bases were full with none out. Then Joe reluctantly gave the signal and Jim walked in, his face flushed with mortification.
“Can’t understand it,” he remarked, as he handed the ball to Merton who replaced him on the mound.
Merton took up the burden and by good pitching, aided by a few breaks, pulled the game out of the fire.
“What in thunder do you suppose got into me this afternoon?” Jim asked Joe, as they were walking back to their rooms after the game.
“The same thing that got into me, I guess,” replied Joe. “We’re brothers in misfortune, old boy. And now that this has happened I’m beginning to get hold of one end of the string that may furnish a clew. As long as I was the only one affected I put it down to something connected with me alone, something in my mental attitude or my physical condition. I’ve been mulling it over and over in my mind and couldn’t make head or tail of it. But when you were knocked out of the box to-day an idea began to take shape in my mind. It grew clearer and clearer.
“Then suddenly I saw something in the grandstand and I had a blinding flash of light. I believed I had found——”
“What?” interrupted Jim eagerly.
“The jinx!” answered Joe.