“I wish I could give you more encouragement,” said the doctor. “You take considerable risk in trying to pitch a whole game through so soon after injuring it. I can recommend an excellent liniment, and perhaps it may bring you into some sort of shape by Saturday, but I fear not.”
I took the doctor’s prescription, and went away very much discouraged by his words. What were we to do? The nine had no substitute pitcher, and depended solely upon me. If I found myself unable to play, all the rest would feel the evil effects of the loss, and the result would probably be another defeat—and this time by Park College! Oh, it was too much! I set my teeth, and determined that I would pitch if it broke my arm to do it.
I concluded to say nothing about the matter to any of the other fellows except Ray, knowing that it would only have a discouraging effect upon them; so when twelve o’clock came I went down to the grounds, and occupied myself in coaching the others instead of pitching. This appeared perfectly natural to the rest, for Ray had left on the noon train for Berkeley to witness the Park-Halford game, and I had always acted as captain in his absence.
At seven o’clock that evening Tony and I went down to the depot, and met Ray and Clinton Edwards on their return from the game. They were talking earnestly as they came towards us, and I fancied that they both wore a hopeful expression of face.
“Who beat?” cried Tony, eager to learn the news.
“Oh, Park College, of course,” answered Edwards. “They nearly always do on their own grounds.”
“What was the score?” I asked, as we turned back towards the college.
“Five to three,” answered Ray.
“Why, that was pretty close. Was it a good game?”
“Yes, fair; and the Park men only won by shouting Halford out of the game. It was one of the meanest games, as far as Park College is concerned, that I ever saw. I honestly believe the Halford men might have beaten on neutral grounds, but the mob made such a racket that they couldn’t help making a few errors, and those errors cost them the game.”