RANGER

arance at the Matson home. He was carefully groomed and ever

that seemed a trifle overdone, co

whole place is buzzing with that affair of last night, and I don't wonder. If

o it someone else would. It wasn't much of a blaze an

eat men are. But you can't get anyone 23 in this town t

ss matter you wanted to see me about," sug

I've traveled over a thousand miles

had been interviewed so much in the last year or two on all

d, "you've heard of the new major leag

an instant. So this was what the visit meant! Jim's

as I am. In fact, he's a player himself. It's Jim Barclay of the Giants. You've heard of him, of course. Hello there, Jim!" he called, as he

sibly 24 flustered, "much as I would li

stratagem in order to have a witness at hand. He was determined that no false or twisted

enough to make the best of the situation, and

were reading about yesterday, Jim," explained Joe, "and I

e, but he only nodded

t pitcher in the country, and we want to secure your services for the new league. We've got oceans of money behind us, and we're pre

having his offer accepted. But if he 25 had expected Joe

a moment's pause, "that's certai

ers," put in West

e went on; "and that is that I'm already sign

was in for a tussle

ose without being signed up. But you know what baseball contracts are. They're so jug handled that no court would uphold them for a minute. In fact, McRae

t away with it," said Joe, leading him on, "what guarantee would you

ng the ash from his cigar. "We'd make it so much worth your while to s

sarcasm, "if you once bought me you'd rely

guess that it's about five thousand a year, a little more or a little less. Now I'll tell you what we're prepared to do. We'll hand you twenty thousand dollars the day you put your signature to a contract with us. Then we'll agree to pay you fifteen thousand dollars a year fo

card and felt sure of taking the trick, Wes

calmly, "unless you want to write to those

down on the arm of

cried jubilantly. "You kno

ation came into Westland's eyes. He se

he said. "No man in his senses wou

then," replied Joe, "for tha

said Westland, "but money talks, a

l of bills of large denominat

he actual cash. Count it if you like and take it to the bank if you doubt that it's good. There's twenty thou

s, and leaned back in his chair, ostensibly intent on the end of

f a cashier's cage. And all he had to do was to reach out, sign his name, and the next minute thrust the bills into his

ry and dishonor, and Joe ne

r. Westland," he agreed

stland's eyes. Perhaps his ta

although we thought we were making a very liberal offer. But as I said before, we'r

as that there isn't money enough in your whole crowd

wish McRae and Robbie and the rest of the

is money that he had scarcely allowed himself to think of failure. Yet here was his money flouted as though it we

ident effort to keep cool, "you have a queer wa

legitimate and you know it. In the first place yo

ere's at least one man in the league getting that much, and

e your own affair if you were bidding too high. But you don't want to give me all this money because I'm a good pitcher. It's be

and, spots of color co

if it's once spread abroad that Matson has jumped into the new league, it will start a stampede of contract breakers. I tell you straight, Westland, it's dirty business. If you want to start a

ad lost, and he threw

ing up the money and jamming it viciously into his pocket.

ried Joe, spring

e's sinewy figure he stepped back and mumbled an apology. Then he reached for his hat, and

, he almost collided with a messeng

ore it open hastily. It was fr

coming after you hotfoot.

cR

r to Jim who rea

he?" said Joe. "W