Canada -- Fiction; World War, 1914-1918 -- Canada -- Fiction
“Oh, you know, Sam. I don't know his other name.”
“Well, I'll try him, Jane,” said young Smart, moving toward the boy and
followed by the eager eyes of the little girl.
“I say, Sam,” said Smart, “we want a man for left field. Will you take a
go at it?”
“Too hot,” grunted Sam.
“Oh, you won't find it too hot when you get started. Rip off your coat
and get into the game. You can play, can't you?”
“Aw, what yer givin' us. I guess I can give them ginks a few pointers.”
“Well, come on.”
“Too hot,” said Sam.
Jane pulled young Smart by the sleeve. “Tell him you will give him a
jersey,” she said in a low voice. “His shirt is torn.”
Again young Smart looked at Jane with scrutinising eyes. “You're a
wonder,” he said.
“Come along, Sam. You haven't got your sweater with you, but I will get
one for you. Get into the bush there and change.”
With apparent reluctance, but with a gleam in his little red eyes, Sam
slouched into the woods to make the change, and in a few moments came
forth and ran to take his position at left field.
The baseball match turned out to be a mere setting for the display
of the eccentricities and superior baseball qualities of Sam, which
apparently quite outclassed those of his teammates in the match. After
three disastrous innings, Sam caused himself to be moved first to the
position of short stop, and later to the pitcher's box, to the immense
advantage of his side. But although, owing to the lead obtained by the
enemy, his prowess was unable to ward off defeat from All Comers, yet
under his inspiration and skilful generalship, the team made such a
brilliant recovery of form and came so near victory that Sam was carried
from the field in triumph shoulder high and departed with his new and
enthusiastically grateful comrades to a celebration.
Larry, however, was much too miserable and much too unhappy for anything
like a celebration. The boy was oppressed with a feeling of loneliness,
and was conscious chiefly of a desire to reach his car and crawl into
his bed there among the straw. Stumbling blindly along the dusty road; a
cheery voice hailed him.
“Hello, Larry!” It was Jane seated beside her father in his car.
“Hello!” he answered faintly and just glanced at her as the car passed.
But soon the car pulled up. “Come on, Larry, we'll take you home,” said
Jane.
“Oh, I'm all right,” said Larry, forcing his lips into his old smile and
resolutely plodding on.
“Better come up, my boy,” said the doctor.
“I don't mind walking, sir,” replied Larry, stubbornly determined to go
his lonely way.
“Come here, boy,” said the doctor, regarding him keenly. Larry came over
to the wheel. “Why, boy, what is the matter?” The doctor took hold of
his hand.
Larry gripped the wheel hard. He was feeling desperately ill and
unsteady on his legs, but still his lips twisted themselves into a
smile. “I'm all right, sir,” he said; “I've got a headache and it was
pretty hot out there.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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