Читать книгу Pee-wee Harris: As Good As His Word - Percy Keese Fitzhugh - Страница 7

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Pee-wee knew that the game which loomed so large in the eyes of Googy was not of the sort to attract general interest, that it was a small boys’ affair. But he was properly impressed at the revelation about the Home team’s pitcher.

“Now, haven’t I got something to be glad about?” Googy asked.

“You bet you have and I’m for your side, that’s one sure thing. I’ll be there and I’ll shout for you the same as I do for the big fellers, the same as I do for the High School fellers. Did you ever hear me shout?”

Googy might have said that he never heard Pee-wee do anything else, but he was too simple for that. He felt highly elated that a scout from Terrace Avenue should volunteer to attend the game—and to shout. He felt that even if the game, even if the pitching were amateur, the shouting at least would be professional.

“Is it going to be in Temple’s lot?” Pee-wee asked.

“Yep, next Saturday,” Googy said proudly.

“I’ll be there,” Pee-wee declared, “and I’ll root for your side. I’ll coach you, too, and I bet you win and, anyway, I have no use for those Ridgedale kids. They’re such sissies they couldn’t even start a scout troop. They don’t know so much about baseball but that they think a foul is a chicken; they think a bat that flies is named after Babe Ruth.”

This sudden change of front about the Ridgedale boys was surprising to Googy, but reassuring. He did not know that with Scout Harris loyalty always took precedence over consistency. The appalling ignorance of the Ridgedale boys was a matter for great encouragement to the little Home boy.

“They think a pitcher is something to put water in,” Pee-wee added. “You’ll beat them all right—I’ll see that you beat them.”

“Do you think some people will come?” Googy asked.

“Sure, they will,” Pee-wee encouraged, notwithstanding that there was no provision made for fans in Temple’s field. The events held there were usually not considered to be epoch-making. “And anyway I’ll be there, you can bet. Even if I’m busy with banquets and arresting people and all that, I’ll be there. And, gee whiz, don’t you worry about winning, because you’ll win. I’m on your side. Gee whiz, those fellers over in Ridgedale, do you think they can stand up against you fellers? Gee whiz! And, besides, I know you can pitch all right.”

Googy went his way highly elated to think that he had enlisted the interest and patronage of this great personality in the boy life of Bridgeboro. He saw the importance of the game with Ridgedale magnified several times. And Pee-wee went his way (which was straight for the pantry) full of the great clean-up drive, and saw himself magnified several thousand times in dignity and importance.