The Studs Lonigan Trilogy - James T. Farrell [57]
Studs got sore and threw pebbles at both of them. Paulie lined rocks at Joe.
Studs asked Paulie if he wanted to keep on playing.
“Yeh, but I’d like to kill the lousy punk and bust his freckled neck,” said Paulie.
He shook his fist at Joe.
“Can’t you hit?... You couldn’t hit the flat side of a barn... you couldn’t hit one if it had crutches on it,” Joe yelled.
“Lemme get my hands on you, and I’ll hit all right,” Paulie said.
“Come on, Paulie, can it! You’ll get another bat,” said Davey.
Paulie took his place out in center field. Denny pitched. Coady batted. He hit the first one on a line past third. No one was near it. Davey shagged after the ball.
Denny pitched again.
Coady did not swing.
“Come on! Hit it!” yelled Paulie.
“I will,” said Joe.
Denny pitched.
Joe smacked another one over third.
He hit another one over third.
They all got sore and yelled at him.
Studs went over and leaned against the ladders in foul territory.
Coady lined one to right field. Studs would have had it, if he had been in position. He got sore and cursed, running after the ball.
Coady kept on placing his hits, chopping them, hitting down and lining out grounders, cutting them over third, drawing them in back of first base.
“What the hell you think you’re doin’?” raged Paulie. “I’m batting, ain’t I?”
“What you think you are?” asked Studs.
Joe accidentally hit one on first bounce to Denny, and his turn would have been up, but Denny fumbled.
“Christ sake! You’re all thumbs,” said Paulie.
“Come on, you punks,” said Studs.
Coady placed one over Davey’s head in deep short. The ball rolled way out in left field. Davey watched it roll. So did Paulie. They looked at each other.
“You’re the outfield,” said Davey.
“I’m centerfield,” Paulie said.
“I’m playin’ infield,” Davey said.
“I’m not gonna get it. It wasn’t my field,” Paulie said.
“Well, I’m not neither,” Davey said.
Paulie sat down.
Davey sat down.
Studs went over and leaned against the slide bars.
“You get it, Denny,” Davey said.
“I don’t have to get it. It ain’t my ball. I was pitchin’,” Denny said defensively.
“One of you guys gotta get it,” Studs said.
“It ain’t mine,” Paulie said.
“It ain’t mine,” Davey said.
“Come on and quit dynamitin’,” Studs said.
“I ain’t dynamitin’,” said Davey.
“Commere, Denny,” Studs said.
“No, I won’t. I’m pitchin’. I don’t have to get it,” yelped Denny.
“Come on, you guys. I want my bats,” Coady said.
“Hell, you got ‘em,” Paulie said.
“I want mine, too,” Denny said.
“Well, you get the pill then,” Paulie said.
“Come on and give me my bats,” Coady said.
Paulie threw some stones around.
“Commere, Denny,” Studs said.
Denny reluctantly went over to Studs.
“Go and get the ball, and we’ll get you your bats,” said Studs.
“No, I don’t have to,” said Denny.
“Go ahead! I’ll do you a favor some time,” said Studs.
“Heck! Why should I? I didn’t hit it or miss it. I was pitchin’.
If it was my position, I would, but it wasn’t,” said Denny.
“Go on, get it,” persuaded Studs.
“I won’t.”
Studs grabbed Denny, and twisted his arm back in a hammer lock.
“Ouch! UUUUU! Damn you! You big bully! Let me go! I’ll get my brother after you, and he’ll kill you for this. Let me go! Ouch! UUUUUU!”
“Well, will you get the ball?”
“Owwww! Let me go, you bully! Let me alone!”
“Now will you get it?”
“Make ‘im get it,” said Davey.
Studs twisted again. Denny yelled. He promised he would get the ball. Studs relaxed his hold. Denny started walking away. He bawled. He called Studs a big bully. Suddenly, he turned and thumbed his nose at Studs.
“You bastard,” he yelled.
Studs shagged him, and Davey and Paulie took up the chase. Denny was caught. Studs twisted his arm again. He called Studs a big bully. Davey suggested taking his pants off. Paulie ripped his buttons open.
“Let me go, you bullies. Let me alone! I didn’t do nothin’ to you. I didn’t bother you. Pick on someone your own size. I’ll tell my brother. He’ll kick the crap out of you,” yelled Denny, frantically.
Studs twisted his arm again.
Denny shrieked that they were sbs.
Studs