nstead, as his numbed fingers gripped the sphere, he saw the
possibility of a double play and threw fast and straight to Swanson, on
second base, forcing out the runner coming from first. Swanson,
catching the idea of the play in an instant, hurled the ball back to
McCarthy, who grabbed it and touched out the runner coming from second,
completing a double play that brought the crowd to its feet in applause
and saved the game.

McCarthy heard the cheers, but he was cold with suppressed anger as he
walked to where Williams was standing, and said:

"Williams, you're a d----d crook."

CHAPTER XIV

_"Technicalities" on the Job_

The Bears were going home holding grimly to their claim upon first
place in the league race. With but seven games remaining to be played
all were against clubs already beaten, and five of the seven were
against clubs considerably weaker in every department. Two games were
to be played off the home grounds.

The statisticians were busy calculating that the Bears had a decided
advantage in the race, yet they were not happy in the homecoming. The
ride home was only a few hours long, and they had caught the train
immediately after the sensational finish of the final game with the
Travelers in order to reach home and get settled by midnight.

Swanson and McCarthy sat together as the train pulled out, talking in
low tones.

"I think Clancy is onto him," said Swanson. "Just sit tight. It isn't
our move yet. The Boss acted queerly on the bench to-day and has been
watching Williams all the time, while pretending not to. I'm going to
mingle and see if any of the other fellows are wise to him."

Hardly had Swanson left the seat than McCarthy was surprised by
"Technicalities" Feehan, who sat down in the seat vacated by the
shortstop.

Feehan was one of the odd characters developed by the national game, a
reporter who had traveled with the Bear teams for so many years the
players regarded him as a sort of venerable pest who hadn't seen a ball
player since Williamson's day, and never such a catcher as Mike Kelly,
a first baseman like Comisky or a fielder like Tip O'Neil. He
sometimes was called "Four Eyes," from the fact that he wore large,
steel-rimmed glasses of great thickness, and his other name was
"Technicalities."

He was not at all interested in baseball, excepting as a business. His
chief interest was in the Children's Crusades, and he had spent eight
years of his spare time