irst man up for Rochester had flied to
McCall. Then had come the two plays significant of Rube's weakening.
He had hit one batter and walked another. This was sufficient,
considering the score was three to one in our favor, to bring the
audience to its feet with a howling, stamping demand for runs.

"Spears is wise all right," said Raddy.

I watched the foxy old captain walk over to the Rube and talk to him
while he rested, a reassuring hand on the pitcher's shoulder. The
crowd yelled its disapproval and Umpire Bates called out sharply:

"Spears, get back to the bag!"

"Now, Mister Umpire, ain't I hurrin' all I can?" queried Spears as he
leisurely ambled back to first.

The Rube tossed a long, damp welt of hair back from his big brow and
nervously toed the rubber. I noted that he seemed to forget the runners
on bases and delivered the ball without glancing at either bag. Of
course this resulted in a double steal. The ball went wild--almost a
wild pitch.

"Steady up, old man," called Gregg between the yells of the bleachers.
He held his mitt square over the plate for the Rube to pitch to. Again
the long twirler took his swing, and again the ball went wild. Clancy
had the Rube in the hole now and the situation began to grow serious.
The Rube did not take half his usual deliberation, and of the next two
pitches one of them was a ball and the other a strike by grace of the
umpire's generosity. Clancy rapped the next one, an absurdly slow
pitch for the Rube to use, and both runners scored to the shrill tune
of the happy bleachers.

I saw Spears shake his head and look toward the bench. It was plain
what that meant.

"Raddy, I ought to take the Rube out," I said, "but whom can I put in?
You worked yesterday--Cairns' arm is sore. It's got to be nursed. And
Henderson, that ladies' man I just signed, is not in uniform."

"I'll go in," replied Raddy, instantly.

"Not on your life." I had as hard a time keeping Radbourne from
overworking as I had in getting enough work out of some other players.
"I guess I'll let the Rube take his medicine. I hate to lose this
game, but if we have to, we can stand it. I'm curious, anyway, to see
what's the matter with the Rube. Maybe he'll settle down presently."

I made no sign that I had noticed Spears' appeal to the bench. And my
aggressive players, no doubt seeing the situation as I saw it, sang out
their various calls of cheer to the Rube and of defiance to their