Mundy does cover the short field like Rabbit Maranville--sometimes; but he's got a yellow streak, and he quits. Pendexter knows how to play second, and at the beginning of last season he hit like old Sockalexis when the Indian first broke into the league. But the pitchers all got wise to his weak spot, close and across the knees, and from a three-hundred-and-sixty batter he slumped into the two-hundred cla.s.s.

You were thinking of asking for waivers on him. Spider Grant--and cash--for that pair! I didn't imagine that even you could think me such a b.o.o.b."

As he listened, Garrity's face showed his anger; his breath came short and quick; his eyes were blazing with the fury of a wild animal.

"Have you got that all out of your system?" he asked, when Lefty stopped. "You're a wise gazabo, ain't you? You know all about baseball and players and such things! You've got a head bigger than a balloon.

But it'll shrink, give it time. It's plain you think you really know how to manage a team. By the middle of the season, and maybe considerable before that, your head will be about the size of a bird shot. And you'll know a lot more then than you do now, believe me!"

The southpaw laughed in his face. "Don't lose your temper," he advised, "just because you couldn't put a raw one over on me. Go ahead and ask waivers on Pendexter. You'll get mine. I wouldn't carry him on my team if you agreed to pay his season's salary for me. My trade with Frazer gave you the notion that you could pick another good man off me, and weaken the Stockings still more. You fooled yourself that time, Garrity. Perhaps you'll find out before long that you are fooling yourself in other ways."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'll let you guess. But just remember what Bobby Burns said about 'the best-laid plans o' mice and men.'"

With this, Locke pa.s.sed on, leaving the wrathy owner of the Rockets glaring after him.

"You poor fool!" muttered Garrity. "I'll have you whimpering like a whipped dog before I'm done with you. Your head's liable to roll into the basket before the season opens. When the time comes, I'll lift my finger, and the ax'll fall."

CHAPTER XXVIII

THE GAGE OF WAR

Janet had let some friends know that she was in the city, and had been invited out to a matinee performance at one of the theaters. Lefty urged her to go. "That's better than sitting around the rooms alone," he said, "and I'll be so busy that I can't be with you."

So when, shortly after lunch, her friends appeared in a comfortable limousine, they had little trouble in persuading her to join them.

Kennedy dropped in a little later, and Locke told him of Garrity's proposed trade.

"He sure did pick you for a mark," said the ex-manager. "You handed it to him straight about Mundy and Pendexter. You're going to need a pair of fast boys to stop the holes, but there's better men in the minors than those two. You've got better ones on the reserve list.

Besides that, I'm doin' a little free scouting on my own hook. I've got friends scattered all over the country. Whenever an old player, gone to the sc.r.a.ps, has touched me up for a five or a ten, I've stood for the touch, asking him to keep his eyes open for anything good he might run across in the sticks. That way I've got a good deal of inexpensive scouting done for me. Maybe it'll be worth something in this pinch. I'm going to interview an old friend over in Jersey this afternoon."

"I'm not worrying over players just now," said Lefty. "I'm anxious to get hold of Stillman."

"You'll hear from him in time--and Weegman, too. What Garrity knows Weegman knows, and so he's wise that you're right here. Be ready for him when he shows up."

Kennedy had only just gone when Weegman appeared. He laughed when he saw Locke, but it was an ugly laugh.

"What do you think you're trying to do?" he demanded. "Didn't you get my telegram ordering you to report at the office of the club?"

"Yes."

"Well, why didn't you obey? What did you mean by coming right through without even sending me word?"

"I had immediate business here in New York."

"Business! I had business for you to attend to. You've been doing a lot of things without consulting me. Why didn't you wait until I gave you the contracts for the old players?"

"There had been too much waiting, and time was precious. Kennedy had plenty of blanks, so I got them from him, filled them out, and sent them to the boys without further delay. It was the proper thing to do."

"Don't tell me what's proper to do! I'll tell you. That was the distinct understanding, and you know it. Sent out the contracts, did you? Well, some of them ought to be coming back by this time."

"They've all come back."

"What?"

"Every one of them. The Federals'll get no more players off us this year."

Weegman choked, and the sound that came from his lips was not a laugh.

"I haven't seen anything of them. They didn't come to the office."

"No, certainly not."

"Certainly not! Then where--where are they?"

"I have them in my pocket."

Lefty said it quietly, not at all disturbed by the wrath of the outraged schemer. It gave him much satisfaction to see Bailey Weegman shake and squirm.

"In your pocket!" spluttered the rascal. "You had them returned to a different address? Confound your crust! How'd you ever have the nerve to do a thing like that? Let's see them. Hand them over!"

Locke made no move to obey. "I think I'll keep them a while," he answered coolly. "I'll deliver them personally to be locked in the club safe."

For a moment it seemed that Weegman would lose all control of himself and attack the southpaw.

"You fool!" he raged. "Do you think you're going to get by with this stuff?"

"I've made a pretty fair start at it."

"So you never meant to stand by the private agreement between us when you signed as manager? That's it, eh?"

"There never was any private agreement between us. I signed to handle the team, but I did not agree to become your puppet."

"You did. You said that--"

"That I understood the conditions you had proposed, but I did not say that I consented to them. I had no intention of letting you dictate to me."

"Fool! Fool!" snarled Weegman. "How long do you think you'll last?

And you made that crazy trade with Frazer! Do you know what I've done?

Well, I've notified Frazer that the deal was irregular, and won't be recognized by the club. Not a dollar of that five thousand will he ever get."

"You know better than that. The trade was legitimate, and it will stand. Frazer can collect by law. Any other deal that I make will go through, too, whether you are aware of it at the time or not. Until Charles Collier himself takes away my authority, I'm manager of the team with the legal right to carry out my own plans, and I intend to do so. I shall ask no advice from you, and any suggestion you may make I shall look upon with distrust."

They fought it out, eye to eye, and presently Weegman's gaze wavered before that of the unawed southpaw. The man he had sought to make his blind tool was defying him to his face.

"I see your finish!" he declared.