A WEAK LINK IN THE CHAIN
When Jack dropped down on the bench, the others crowded as close up on
either side as they could possibly get. No one was near by, save a
couple of nursemaids chatting and gossiping while they trundled their
baby carriages back and forth; and they were too much engrossed in
exchanging views of the gallant policeman on the block to notice three
boys with their heads close together, "plotting mischief," as they would
doubtless believe.
"Now break loose and give us a hint what it's all about, please, Jack!"
urged Toby.
"Because both of us have noticed that something's been bothering you
latterly," added Steve; "and as you're not the fellow to borrow trouble
it's got us guessing, I tell you. Who's the weak brother on the team
you're afraid of, Jack?"
"I see your guessing has been in the right direction, Steve," the other
went on to remark, with an affectionate nod; for in the few months he
had known them, these new chums had won a warm place in Jack Winters'
heart. "Don't be startled now when I tell you it's Fred who's keeping me
awake nights."
Both the others uttered low exclamations of surprise.
"What! Fred Badger, our bully reliable third baseman, equal to that
crackerjack Harmony boasts about as the best in the State!" gasped Toby.
"Why, only yesterday I heard you say our Fred was getting better right
along, and that his equal couldn't be easily found. We don't even need
to keep a substitute back of Fred, his work is that gilt-edged."
"That's just what's troubling me," admitted Jack, quietly. "If I was
able to lay my hand on some one right now who could fill Fred's shoes
even fairly well, I wouldn't be so bothered; but there isn't a boy in
Chester who can play that difficult position so as not to leave a
terrible gap in our stone-wall infield, no one but Fred."
"But what's the matter with Fred?" demanded Steve.
"I saw him not an hour ago," spoke up Toby, "and say, he didn't look so
_very_ sick then, let me tell you, Jack. He was swallowing an
ice-cream soda in the drug-store, and seemed to be enjoying it
immensely, too."
"And yet," added Steve, thoughtfully, "now that you mention it, Jack,
seems to me Fred _has_ been acting a little queer lately. There's
been a sort of shifting way he avoids looking straight into your eyes
when you're talking with him. Why, when I got speaking about our next
big game, and hoped he'd play like a regular demon at third sack he
grinned sheepishly, and simply said he meant to try and do himself
credit, but nobody could ever tell how luck was going to pan out."
Jack shook his head.
"That's just it, fellows," he went on to say, gloomily. "I've heard the
same thing from others. In fact, Phil Parker even went on to say it
looked like Fred was getting ready to excuse himself in case he did
commit some terrible crime in juggling a ball when a vital time in the
game came, and a clean throw meant win or lose."
"I'd hate to see that spirit shown under any conditions," said Jack,
"because it means lack of confidence, and such a thing has lost no end
of games. It's the fellow who says he can and will do things that comes
in ahead nearly every time. But listen, boys, that isn't the worst of
this thing."
"Gee whiz! what's coming now, Jack?" asked Toby, wriggling uneasily on
the bench.
"Of course you know that over in Harmony, which is a larger place than
Chester, there is quite a sporting element," Jack continued. "Latterly,
we've been told quite an interest has been aroused in the outcome of
this deciding game between the two rival clubs; and that some rich
sports from the city have even come up to make wagers on the result.
I've heard gentlemen here tell this, and deplore the fact that such a
thing could invade an innocent sport like baseball. You both know this,
don't you, fellows?"
"Yes," said Steve, quickly, "I've heard a lot of talk about it, and how
they are determined to arrest anybody making an open bet on the game at
the grounds when the crowd is there; but even that isn't going to
prevent the laying of wagers in secret."
"I ran across a Harmony fellow yesterday," Toby now remarked, eagerly,
"and he said there was a terrible lot of excitement over there about
this game. You see, the news about our new pitcher has leaked out, from
the Chester boys doing considerable bragging; and they're going to play
their very best to win against us. He also admitted that there was open
betting going on, with heavy odds on Harmony."
Jack sighed.
"That all agrees with what came to me in a side way," he explained. "In
other words, the way things stand, there will be a big lot of money
change hands in case Harmony does win. And those sporting men who came
up from the city wouldn't think it out of the way to pay a good fat
_bribe_ if they could make sure that some player on the Chester
team would throw the game, in case it began to look bad for Harmony!"
Toby almost fell off his seat on hearing Jack say that.
"My stars! and do you suspect Fred of entering into such a base
conspiracy as that would be, Jack?" he demanded, hoarsely; while Steve
held his very breath as he waited for the other to reply.
"Remember, not one word of this to a living soul," cautioned Jack; "give
me your solemn promise, both of you, before I say anything more."
Both boys held up a right hand promptly.
"I never blab anything, even in my sleep, Jack," said Steve; "and until
you give permission never a single word will I pass along."
"Same here," chirped Toby; "I'll put a padlock on my lips right away,
and wild horses couldn't force me to leak. Now tell us what makes you
suspect poor old Fred of such a horrible crime?"
"I've tried to make myself believe it impossible," Jack commenced; "and
yet all the while I could see that Fred has changed in the last ten
days, changed in lots of ways. There's something been bothering him,
that's plain."
"Stop a minute, will you, Jack, and let me say something," interrupted
Toby. "I wouldn't mention it even to you fellows only for this thing
coming up. I chance to know why Fred has been looking worried of late.
Shall I tell you, in hopes that it might ease your mind, Jack?"
"Go on, Toby," urged Steve. "We ought to get at the bottom of this thing
before it's too late, and the mischief done. Any player can throw a
game, if he's so minded, and the opportunity comes to him, and mebbe not
even be suspected; but as a rule, baseball players are far too honorable
to attempt such tricks."
"It's a secret over at our house," Toby went on to say. "My mother
happens to know that Doctor Cooper told Mrs. Badger she could be a well
woman again if only she went to a hospital in the city, and submitted to
an operation at the hands of a noted surgeon he recommended. But they
are poor, you know, boys, and it's next to impossible for them to ever
think of raising the three hundred dollars the operation would cost. She
told my mother Fred was making himself fairly sick over his inability to
do something to earn that big sum. So you see the poor chap has had
plenty of reason for looking glum lately."
"I knew nothing about Fred's mother being sick," Jack admitted; "and I'm
sorry to learn it now; but don't you see, your explanation only seems to
make matters all the blacker for him, Toby?"
"Why, how can that be, Jack?"
"Only this, that while Fred might never be bribed to listen to any
scheme to throw the game in favor of Harmony, on his own account, the
tempting bait of three hundred dollars might win him over now, because
of his love for his mother."
"But, Jack, however could he explain where he got so much money?" cried
Steve. "It would come out, and he'd be called on for an explanation.
Even his mother would refuse to touch a cent dishonestly gained, though
she died for it. Why, Fred would be crazy to think he could get away
with such a game."
"Still, he might be blind to that fact," Jack explained. "The one thing
before his eyes would be that he could pick up the money so sorely
needed, and for which he might even be tempted to barter his honor. All
sorts of explanations could be made up to tell where he got the cash.
But there's even something more than that to make matters look bad for
Fred."
"As what, Jack?" begged Toby, breathlessly.
"Just day before yesterday," the other continued, "I chanced to pass
along over yonder, and glancing across saw Fred sitting on this very
bench. He was so busy talking with a man that he never noticed me. That
man was a stranger in Chester, at least I had never seen him before.
Yes, and somehow it struck me there was a bit of a sporty look about his
appearance!"
"Gee whiz! the plot thickens, and that does look black for Fred, I must
say," grunted Toby, aghast.
"I was interested to the extent of hanging around to watch them
further," Jack went on to say, "and for half an hour they continued to
sit here, all the while talking. I thought the sporty stranger glanced
around a number of times, as though he didn't want any one to overhear a
word of what he was saying. He seemed to have a paper of some sort, too,
which I saw Fred signing. I wondered then if he could be such a
simpleton as to attach his name to any dishonorable deal; but sometimes
even the sharpest fellow shows a weak point. Now I know that Fred must
be fairly wild to get hold of a certain sum of money, it makes me more
afraid than ever he is pledged to toss away the game, if it looks as
though Chester is going to win out on a close margin."
"Then we ought to drop Fred out, and take our medicine with another man
on third," proposed Steve, hotly.
"I'd do that in a minute, and take no chances of foul play," said Jack,
"if only we knew of anybody capable of filling his shoes. If Harmony
knows a weak player covers third bag, they'll make all their plays
revolve around him, that's sure. The only thing I can see is to let Fred
keep on, and hope the game will not be so close that he could lose it
for Chester by a bad break. Besides that I could have a heart-to-heart
talk with him, not letting him see that we suspected his loyalty, but
impressing it on his mind that every fellow in the team believed in him
to the utmost, and that we'd be broken-hearted if anything happened to
lose us this game on which the whole future of clean sport in Chester
hangs."
"That might do it, Jack!" snapped Toby, eagerly. "You've got a way about
you that few fellows can resist. Yes, that's our only plan, it seems;
Fred is indispensable on the team at this late stage, when a sub
couldn't be broken in, even if we had one handy, which we haven't. Play
him at his regular position, and let's hope there'll be no chance for
double-dealing on his part."
"But we'll all be mighty anxious as the game goes along, believe me,"
asserted Steve, as they arose to leave the vicinity of the bench. "I'll
be skimpy with my throws to third to catch a runner napping, for fear
Fred might make out to fumble and get the ball home just too late to nab
the runner. And, Jack, try your level best to convince Fred that the
eyes of all Chester will be on him during that game, with his best girl,
pretty Molly Skinner, occupying a front seat in the grand stand!"