trifle under three chances per
game when he was not pitching. Does it not seem remarkable?"

"Perhaps so," assented McCarthy. "I never studied such statistics."

"The phenomenon is the more remarkable," added the strange little man,
"because the average chances per game of the third basemen of five
leagues, two majors and three Class AA for the last five years has been
2 and 877-998. It is impossible to construe the figures to mean but
one of two things."

"What are they?" asked McCarthy, curiously interested.

"Either it is mere coincidence or Williams is deliberately trying to
lose this pennant and to make you shoulder the blame."

"That's a pretty stiff charge," remarked McCarthy, amazed at the
deductions of the reporter, which fitted so well the suspicion,
gradually becoming a certainty to his mind.

"Either he is pitching purposely to make the opposing batters hit balls
at you," insisted Feehan, "or it just happened--and things do not just
happen in baseball with that regularity."

"Possibly he is wild and can't get the ball over the plate."

"On the contrary," persisted Feehan, "he has perfect control. If he
did not possess control he could not pitch so many balls to the same
place."

"I'm immensely grateful," said McCarthy, touched by the kindness of the
odd reporter. "It's good of you and I shan't forget it."

"I deserve no thanks," insisted Feehan. "It's merely in the line of
square dealing and justice--and, speaking of justice, McCarthy, did you
ever take interest in the Children's Crusades? Let me show you some of
the data I dug up recently"----

He delved into his little bag, which was his constant companion, and,
drawing forth a mass of scattered, disordered notes, he went into
raptures of enthusiasm while describing to the player some new features
of the disappearance of the French children and of the sojourn of
hundreds of them as slaves in African harems.

A great throng of admirers was waiting in the station to welcome the
Bears back from their successful trip. Swanson and McCarthy finally
escaped from the crowd, and, jumping into a taxicab, were whirled to
the hotel, where Swanson had secured rooms for both.

The hour was growing late, but after they had deposited their baggage
in their rooms, Swanson proposed a walk and a late supper. It was
McCarthy's first visit to the city which he represented upon the ball
field and its magnificence and greatness made him forget the worrie