Kewpie sent another. Mr. Mulford arose from the bench and took up a position behind the net. “Let’s have that out-curve again,” he commanded. Kewpie obeyed. “All right,” said the coach. “Not bad. Try a drop.”
Kewpie’s first attempt went wrong, but the next one sailed to the plate a little more than knee-high and then sought to bury itself in the dust. Laurie heard the coach grunt. A third attempt attained a similar result. “What else have you got?” asked Mr. Mulford. Laurie detected a note of interest at last.
“Got an in-shoot,” replied Kewpie with all of his accustomed assurance, “and a sort of floater.”
“Show me,” answered the coach.
The in-shoot was just what its name implied, and Kewpie presented two samples of it. The “floater,” however, was less impressive, although Laurie thought to himself that it might prove a hard ball to hit if offered after a curve. Mr. Mulford grunted again. “Now pitch six balls, Proudtree,” he said, “and mix ’em up.”
Kewpie pitched an out, a straight drop, an out-drop, a straight ball, an in, and a “floater.”
“That’s enough,” said Mr. Mulford to Laurie. “Come over to the bench.” Laurie dropped the ball in his pocket, signaled to Kewpie, and followed the coach. Kewpie ambled up inquiringly. “Sit down, son,” said Mr. Mulford. Then, “Where’d you learn that stuff?” he asked.
With Laurie’s assistance, Kewpie told him.