CHAPTER XVI
TOM MAKES A DISCOVERY
There was consternation among the freshmen and their supporters. With a divided team, part of it being so far away from the grounds that it was practically impossible to arrive on time, and on a wrong road at that, the situation was enough to discourage any nine.
"What made you let that fellow tell you where to go?" demanded Sid of the motorman.
"Well, he said he was your manager, and I believed him."
"Manager!" cried Holly Cross. "Yes, we need a manager. We need a nurse and a governess, that's what we need. To think that twenty of the brightest freshmen at Randall have been duped by one soph! Wow! I must have blood!" and he began to dance and howl like a stage Indian.
"Well," said Langridge disgustedly after a few minutes' thought, which period was occupied on the part of the others by the use of language more strong and rugged than polite, "the only thing to do is to go back. Make the best time you can and see what we can do. Shift the car, motorman."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because I got orders not to start back until half-past four. You see, this is a single-track road, and I might run into a car coming in the opposite direction. We've got to stay here until four-thirty."
This was worse than ever, and a howl went up. But suddenly Sid, who had been narrowly looking at the motorman, took a step toward him. He reached up, grabbed his beard and pulled it off.
"Hayden!" he exclaimed as there was revealed to view the features of one of the liveliest of the sophomore class. "By all the gods that on Olympus dwell, it's Hayden!"
"At your service, gentlemen," exclaimed Hayden with a mocking bow. "This is a little pleasure trip that Fenmore and I arranged for you. I hope you enjoy it," and with another mocking bow he slipped off the controller handle and leaped over the dashboard of the car.
"We hired the regular motorman to let us take his place," he went on. 'I guess you don't play ball to-day," and he disappeared in the woods with a tantalizing laugh.
"Let's catch !" cried Holly Cross.
"Sure! Let's scalp him and tie him to a tree," proposed Dutch Housenlager.
THE MAN ALLOWED THEM TO PILE IN—Page 150
"What's the use?" asked Sid. "He knows this part of the country like a book, for he's been hunting in it. Better let him go. He'll only laugh the more at us."
"But what are we to do?" demanded Langridge. "We don't want to lose the game." He was very vexed, for he knew it would reflect on him as manager.
"The only thing I see to do is to walk back until we meet another car and then send on word of this abandoned one," said Sid. "It's a long walk, but"
"Hark!" cried Tom Parsons suddenly. "An auto is coming along the road."
"Maybe some of us can get a ride," proposed Phil Clinton. "We can go to town and hire a rig for the rest of you."
Along the road rumbled some big vehicle. There came in sight a big auto truck, ponderous and heavy. It was one of several used by a milk concern to transport cans to the railroad depot.
"That's the stuff!" cried Tom. "Maybe he'll take us to Dodville if we pay him."
The man was hailed and the situation explained to him. He looked dubious and shook his head.
"Why can't you take us?" asked Phil. "You say you have no load on your truck, and it isn't much out of your way. We'll pay you well."
"Maybe you would," admitted the man, "but I've heard of you students. If some of you ran off with a trolley car, there's no tellin' but what you'd take this truck away from me at some lonely spot and go cruisin' off like Captain Kidd."
"No, no," promised the lads eagerly. "We won't cut up a bit."
They had some difficulty in convincing the man of this, but did so finally, and he allowed them to pile in. They had to stand up and the road was rough. They were jolted about, for the truck was not built for easy riding, but they did not mind that, for they felt that there was a chance to play the game, and they urged the man to put on all speed.
They reached Dodville just as the game was about to be awarded to the preparatory school on a forfeit. The members of the Randall nine who had arrived in the second trolley car, which safely made the trip, could not explain the absence of their companions.
The game was started, but it was not remarkable for any brilliant work on the part of the college freshmen. In fact the other students played all around them. Possibly this was due to the episode that had occurred, for Langridge was nervous and threw wild, giving a number of men their bases on balls. Kerr asked him to let Tom pitch, but Langridge refused arrogantly and with bitter words against the scrub twirler. Nor would he consent that Evert should fill the box.
"I'll pitch!" he cried excitedly. "I'll strike 'em out next inning. You watch."
Tom happened to be in the dressing-room when it was the turn of Randall to bat, and Langridge came in. The 'varsity pitcher did not see his rival, but going to where his valise was containing his clothing, he took something from it. Tom saw Langridge put a bottle to his lips.
"I wonder if he's taking medicine," he thought.
A moment later the pitcher hurried from the room as his name was called to bat. Tom walked to a window that gave a view of the grounds. As he passed Langridge's valise he smelled a pungent, alcoholic odor. He started and for a moment could not tell what it was. Then it came to him.
"Liquor! He's been drinking liquor!" he almost exclaimed aloud. "He's broken the training rules. I wonder—I wonder if this is what Sid hinted at—if this is what Mr. Lighton meant!"
From the diamond there came a sharp crack. It was a bat meeting a swiftly pitched ball with that inspiring sound that indicates a fair hit. Tom saw Langridge speeding for first base, while Randall lads were yelling at the top of their voices.
"It's a three-bagger!" cried Tom delightedly, and so it proved, Langridge bringing in a run a moment later on a sacrifice hit by Holly Cross.