If up to this time Joe had entertained any lingering doubts that an attempt was afoot to put him out of the game for good, the receipt of the false telegram at a critical moment served effectually to dispel them. In addition, it was now evident that his enemies were willing to stoop to any means to achieve their ends.
Joe was one not to be easily alarmed, but he realized the gravity of the situation and knew that it could not be solved by hiding his head in the sand like an ostrich and ignoring it.
“The matter is getting worse and worse, Jim,” he remarked, when they were discussing the affair in their room on the evening of the last game. “It is not simply a personal matter against me that may be the thing that they are aiming at. I have noticed lately that they are playing bad ball not only when I am in the box, but when the other fellows are, too. It is a matter that involves not only our personal fortunes, but those of the Giant team and possibly of the whole league. They may have confederates elsewhere in the league, and I guess it’s up to you and me to see what we can do toward putting a spoke in their wheel. It’s bad enough when they confine their attentions to us, but when they go to mixing up our families in it they’re going a bit too far.”
“A whole lot too far,” agreed Jim grimly. “It’s a shame that there should be such players in the game. But in they are, and the only thing for us to do is show them up and get them thrown out as soon as possible.”
“I only hope that I have a hand in the throwing,” remarked his friend. “Baseball is such a fine, naturally clean game that I hate to see a crooked bunch like that horning in. It wouldn’t take many of them to queer the whole outfit with the fans. There are always a lot of them that try to argue that baseball is crooked, even when it’s absolutely on the level.”
“Yes, I’ve heard plenty of that breed, too,” agreed Jim. “I imagine they know in their hearts that they’d take dirty money if they got the chance, and it’s hard for them to believe that everybody else wouldn’t. But this bunch we’ve got on the team now are sure to make big trouble for us and for the whole league if we don’t manage to show them up in some way.”
“Give them enough rope, and they’ll hang themselves,” quoted Joe. “It’s plain enough to me what they’re up to, but we’ve got to have proof. They and the gamblers who are backing them bet against our team, and then they do their level best to lose the game for us.”
“There’s not much encouragement in playing under those conditions.”
“We’ll get to the bottom of their game, never fear,” declared Joe. “In the meantime, Jim, it’s up to the rest of the team to play such a high-grade brand of baseball that we’ll win in spite of the crooks.”