“Say, son, you must think we’re easy!” he said. “When you sign this paper it will tie the can to your career as a ball player. In it you’ll admit that you threw several games last season, and this for pay. You’ll name the dates and the games, and we’ll have other framed evidence to back it up. Oh, you won’t play any more games this season—nor any other season, I guess. But if you don’t sign this paper, you won’t play any more games, either,” he added significantly.
For the first time the full measure of his extremity dawned on Joe. On the one hand he was asked to sign a paper that would disgrace him and make him an outcast in the eyes of the world—such a paper as no decent man would care to sign and live after signing it. And if he did not sign, there might be even death waiting for him, without the chance of saying good-by to his young wife and to his parents and friends, certainly such an injury as would forever put him out of baseball. Of the two hard alternatives he quickly made his choice.
“I guess it will have to be the river for mine, then,” he said, in a steady voice. “You can rest assured I won’t sign any such blackguard paper as that.”
The ringleader gave an exclamation.
“Take him back to the cellar, men,” he ordered. “You can have until to-night to change your mind, young feller. If you don’t do what I want you to then, you—well, you’ll take the consequences, that’s all.”
The others closed in on Joe to take him away, but Joe wrenched himself free and with a movement like that of a leaping panther he was at the scoundrel. His fist shot out and caught the fellow squarely between the eyes. A look of vacant surprise spread over the flabby features and the man crumpled to the floor.
Before Joe could strike another blow his hands were pinned to his sides, and he was hustled out of the room on the way to the subterranean cell.
“You couldn’t have done a worse thing than that, Matson,” said the man who had recognized him as being the Giants’ pitcher. “The boss will have it in for you worse than ever now. It’ll be personal hate, as well as money.”
“He’d probably do his worst, anyway, and that will give him something to remember me by,” said Joe grimly.