[CHAPTER XIII]
KEEPING IT CLOSE
“What are you going to do about telling McRae and Robbie?” queried Jim, as the two players neared the baseball park. “Don’t you suppose they ought to know?”
“I’ve thought about that,” said Joe. “But I haven’t found out very much——”
“Except that two of the Giants’ players frequent disreputable hotels and partake of contraband liquor while they hatch up their evil schemes,” Jim reminded him dryly. “That information ought to go a long way toward discrediting McCarney and Reddy Hupft for life.”
“But it wouldn’t stop their plotting,” Joe retorted. “They’d go on hatching their rotten schemes just the same, only in such a way that we’d have hard work bringing the guilt home to them. No, I’d rather have them where I can watch them until some time when I have the chance to get the real goods on them.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” said Jim doubtfully, adding suddenly: “How do you know they didn’t get pinched in the raid?”
“I don’t,” answered Joe. “Only they beat it at the first sign of trouble and probably had a chance to get away. It would be some joke,” he added, as they walked together toward the entrance of the field, “if they had been caught.”
“Some joke on them—but one also on the team,” added Jim.
“Yes, there it is again. You can’t punish one member of a nine without reflecting more or less on the whole team.” Joe stopped short and stared out to the field where several of the players were already in practice. “Say, Jim, do you see what I see, or am I dreaming again?”
“It’s Reddy and his pal McCarney all right,” said Jim grimly. “They gave the police the slip that time, and I suppose they’ll do it many times more before they’re caught.”