[A Ball Player’s Career by Adrian C. Anson]@TWC D-Link bookA Ball Player’s Career CHAPTER XVIII 8/10
The contract that he was made to sign was an ironclad one, and one that carried such horrible penalties with it in case of desertion that it was enough to scare the little darkey almost to death.
When I looked him over that night on the train I told him that I should not be in the least surprised were he again to desert us at San Francisco, and especially if Miss Jarbeau should run across him. "Den dat's jest 'case you doan' know me," he retorted; "I specs dat if dat 'ooman sees me now," and here he looked himself over admiringly, "she's jes' say to me, 'My gracious, Clarence, whar you been? Come right along wid me, my boy, an' doan' let me lose sight ob you no more.' I know she'd just say dat." "What would you say then ?" I asked. "What I say? Why, I jes' say, 'Go on, white 'ooman, don't know you now, an' I nebber did know you.
No, sir, Mr.Anson, I'se done wid actresses de rest ob my nat-rel life, you heah me." To my astonishment he kept his word, remaining with us all through the trip and returning with us to Chicago.
Outside of his dancing and his power of mimicry he was, however, a "no account nigger," and more than once did I wish that he had been left behind. Just before the game at Hastings began a section of the grand stand, some twenty feet in height, gave way, but as no one was killed, and as there were 3,000 people present, many of whom had come from the surrounding towns to witness the game, the accident was soon lost sight of.
The game resulted in a victory for Chicago by a score of 8 to 4. Baldwin pitched for the Chicagos and Van Haltren for the All-American team. On our way from Hastings to Denver that night we met the train from St. Louis at Oxford, Neb., and were joined by Capt.
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