Keen sent the ball back hotly with a snap throw, but the pitcher caught it with one hand, not seeming to mind it at all.
Then he went through more erratic movements, swung his right arm, thrust out his left, and jerked the ball through under his left arm, sending it over the plate.
The movement was so surprising that the batter failed to strike at all.
“Well, I’ll be kicked!” gasped the batter.
“A-haw! a-haw! a-haw!” laughed the jay. “That’s one on you, by gorry! Didn’t know I had that up my sleeve, did ye? It’s one I learnt off a feller by the name of Wiley, an’ he’s purty good when he has a mind to be. I’ll show ye lots of queer quirks before I’m done with ye.”
Following this he cut several peculiar geometrical figures in the air with the ball, laid it exactly on the back of his neck, looked hard at the batter, and sent in one that had the speed of a darting swallow.
The batter struck too slowly, and the ball went straight through the hands of the catcher, striking against his body-protector, then falling to the ground.
“Did you see that?” cried twenty persons.
“A-haw! a-haw! a-haw!” roared the jay, as the umpire declared the batter out, the catcher having caught up the ball and tagged the surprised man. “Why, I didn’t s’pose you was so easy! Stand up yer next victim.”
The witnesses were quite as surprised as the batter had been.
Robinson was the following batter. He laughed at the one who had struck out, saying:
“Well, you must feel foolish! Before I’d let that object do such a thing to me!”
Then he stepped quickly up to the plate. He was a great hitter, having connected with the ball every time up during the game thus far.
The jay took the sphere in his hand, glared at Robinson, then made a swing, and sent in one of his speedy ones. The moment the ball left his hand the queer pitcher yelled:
Robinson dropped just in time to avoid being hit by the ball, which fairly whizzed as it passed his head. The catcher was not quick enough to stop the ball at all.
Up on the bleachers rose another farmerish-looking fellow, who, however, was dressed in good taste, and who shouted:
“Look out there, Bub-Bub-Bub-Bill! You gol-dud-dud-dud-darn fool! Dud-dud-dud-do you want to kuk-kuk-kuk-kill somebody?”