LEFTY O’ THE BUSH [Illustration: SPIKES FIRST, LOCKE SLID.] LEFTY O’ THE BUSH BY BURT L. STANDISH Author of “Lefty o’ the Big League,” “Lefty o’ the Blue Stockings,” “Lefty o’ the Training Camp.” _ILLUSTRATED_ GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS NEW YORK Copyright, 1914, by GROSSET & DUNLAP, Inc. _All Rights Reserved_ _Printed in the United States of America_ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I OUT IN THE BUSH 11 II UNDER COVER 18 III THE MAN TO PITCH 23 IV THE PARSON’S DAUGHTER 29 V A BAD BEGINNING 35 VI “TAKE HIM OUT!” 40 VII HIMSELF AGAIN 47 VIII STEADYING DOWN 53 IX SOME PITCHING! 58 X A PITCHERS’ BATTLE 63 XI ON THE RAW EDGE 67 XII THE “SQUEEZE PLAY” 73 XIII THE LAST STRIKE-OUT 78 XIV AFTER THE GAME 86 XV MAN TO MAN 91 XVI BENTON KING AWAKENS 97 XVII FATHER AND DAUGHTER 104 XVIII THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER 112 XIX THE AGITATION IN BANCROFT 120 XX MEN OF CONSCIENCE! 128 XXI A SECRET MEETING 132 XXII RILEY SHOOTS HIS BOLT 140 XXIII LEFTY’S FICKLE MEMORY 145 XXIV A MATTER OF VERACITY 152 XXV THE TEST AND THE DENIAL 157 XXVI WAS IT A BLUFF? 166 XXVII THE ITEM IN THE NEWS 173 XXVIII THE GAGE FLUNG DOWN 180 XXIX THE FRAME-UP 186 XXX THE LETTER IN THE DESK 193 XXXI TOM, TOMMY AND JANET 201 XXXII THE INITIALS 209 XXXIII KING AROUSED 218 XXXIV GIVEN THE LIE 224 XXXV THE PHOTOGRAPH 230 XXXVI CRUMBLED CASTLES 236 XXXVII THE BELL BOY 244 XXXVIII “AND DID NOT UNDERSTAND” 250 XXXIX BANCROFT COMES TO CONQUER 258 XL PINWHEEL MURTEL 264 XLI GONE WRONG 271 XLII A SUDDEN SHIFT 276 XLIII A GAME WORTH WINNING 282 XLIV FACING HIS ACCUSERS 288 XLV THE FORGERY 294 XLVI CLEARED UP 300 LEFTY O’ THE BUSH CHAPTER I OUT IN THE BUSH