UNDER COVER
Kingsbridge, with its pulp-mill and saw-mill laborers, was precisely
the sort of a place to back a team to the limit, and to demand a
winning club, regardless of expense.
On Saturdays, because of the early shutting down of the mills, nearly
all the laborers could get out to witness the contests, and few there
were who failed to attend, unless sickness or imperative necessity kept
them away. In fact, on the last day of the week, the attendance in that
town was as large as the average turnout in Bancroft.
The mill town’s initial experience had been most unsatisfactory and
discouraging. Starting out with a nine made up of youngsters, among
whom were college men and high-school boys, it had made a promising
beginning, actually standing at the head of the league for almost three
weeks, and then fighting Bancroft for first place for an equal length
of time.
But the youngsters did not seem to have staying qualities, and this,
combined with poor management and the “fair-or-foul” methods of the
Bullies, had eventually sent Kingsbridge down the ladder to finish the
season at the very foot of the list.
This failure, however, simply aroused the town to grim determination,
bringing about the organization of a baseball association which
included many of the leading citizens, Henry Cope, who kept the
largest general store in town, being chosen chairman. The association
pledged itself to put a winning team on to the field, and Cope,
having considerable knowledge of baseball and players, set to work
in midwinter preparing for the coming campaign. He was given a
comparatively free hand by his associates, although, in order that
Bancroft might not hear and get wise, the purpose of his movements was
kept secret until it was almost time for the league to open.
Then it became known that Bob Hutchinson, a manager who had handled
teams in one of the well known minor leagues, had been secured to take
charge of the “Kinks.” It was also made public that a team of fast
and experienced players throughout had been signed, and the names of
several of these players were printed in the sporting column of the
Bancroft _News_.
Hope flamed high in Kingsbridge. The topic of the street corners was
baseball. It was freely proclaimed that the town was prepared to take
a heavy fall out of Bancroft, and would begin by downing the “hated
enemy” in the very first clash, which was scheduled to occur in the
down-river city.
Of course a few pessimistic killjoys, of whom every community must have
its quota, scoffed at the efforts and expectations of the enthusiasts,
declaring it was not possible for a place no larger than Kingsbridge,
no matter how earnestly it might try, to defeat a city with Bancroft’s
record and resources. These croakers were not popular, yet their gloomy
prophecies awakened misgivings in many a heart.
In Bancroft the midwinter silence of Kingsbridge had aroused some alarm
lest the mill town, troubled with cold feet, should fail to come to
the scratch when the season opened, which would make it necessary to
lure some other place into the fold, or run the league three-cornered,
something most unpleasant and undesirable.
Even when Kingsbridge sent a representative to attend the usual annual
meeting of the league association, the quiet declination of that
representative to give out any particulars concerning the personnel
of the up-river team had left a feeling of uneasiness, despite his
repeated assurance that there would be such a team.
Later, on the appearance of the newspaper report that Kingsbridge had
engaged Bob Hutchinson as manager, and the publication of an incomplete
roster of the mill-town players, Bancroft’s relief and satisfaction
had been tempered by alarm of a different nature. For it now became
apparent that the city’s ambitious rival had all along been quietly at
work preparing to spring a surprise in the form of an unusually strong
nine that would make the other clubs go some, right from the call of
“play.”
Mike Riley had not sought to allay this final feeling of apprehension;
on the contrary, for purely personal reasons, he fostered it. For would
it not encourage the backers of his team, believing as they did in his
sound baseball sense, to give him even greater liberty in management?
And when he should again win the championship, as he secretly and
egotistically felt certain of doing, the luster of the accomplishment
must seem far more dazzling than usual.
After Bancroft’s opening-day success, when she had rubbed it into the
Kinks to the tune of 8 to 4, Riley became completely satisfied that the
Kingsbridge nine was a false alarm.
Aware of Hutchinson’s particular weaknesses, he had never really
feared the man; but let this much be said to Riley’s credit: whenever
possible, he preferred to capture victory by the skill and fighting
ability of his team, rather than through secret deals and shady,
underhanded methods. And he always developed a team of aggressive,
browbeating fighters; hence the far-from-pleasing appellation of
“Bullies.”
In her second game, Kingsbridge’s victory over Fryeburg had come as a
surprise to Manager Riley, whose judgment had led him to believe that
the Brownies would also open the season with a triumph on their own
field. Hence his desire to question Hutchinson about it.
Tom Locke, the new pitcher who had relieved Pat Deever when the
Fryeburgers took Deever’s measure in the seventh, was an unknown to
Riley, and, the chap being slated to go against Bancroft this day, Mike
had sought information concerning him.
Hutchinson, however, could tell him nothing save that the young man had
been signed by Henry Cope; but, holding Cope’s baseball judgment openly
in contempt, this seemed sufficiently relieving, and, complacently
chewing his black cigar, he confidently returned to the Bancroft bench.