hurt him, even if you have to use him again Monday. Always play the game safe when you can—that's my motto. I'll take chances, all right, if I have to, but I've never yet let my conscience fret me into ducking a bet on a sure thing. Hoover is the Kinks' hoodoo, and it ought to be pretty safe with him handing 'em."
"Safe," gurgled Riley, highly amused. "I should guess yes. They think they've got some players, but, with Hutchinson furnishin' only four out of the 'leven men they have, as he told me, and Cope diggin' up the rest, most of 'em holdovers from last year, it's a joke.
"Why, I let old Cope have Pat Deever, though he thinks he got Deever away from me. Just as I was about to close with Pat, I got it straight that he'd put his wing on the blink for fair, and, by pretendin' I was hot after Deever all the time, I helped him make a fancy deal with Cope.
"Pat was batted out by the Brownies after fooling 'em along to the seventh with a slow ball that made him sweat drops of blood ev'ry time he boosted it over the pan; but he's foxy, and he'll manage to hang on by bluffing 'em that his arm'll come round soon, see if he don't," added Riley. "The only pitcher they've got is Skillings, and
