[Illustration: "GOOD-BYE, JOE!"] Baseball Joe at Yale OR Pitching _for the_ College Championship _By_ LESTER CHADWICK AUTHOR OF "BASEBALL JOE OF THE SILVER STARS," "BASEBALL JOE ON THE SCHOOL NINE," "THE RIVAL PITCHERS," "BATTING TO WIN," "THE WINNING TOUCHDOWN," ETC. _ILLUSTRATED_ [Illustration] NEW YORK CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY =BOOKS BY LESTER CHADWICK= =THE BASEBALL JOE SERIES= =12mo. Cloth. Illustrated= BASEBALL JOE OF THE SILVER STARS Or The Rivals of Riverside BASEBALL JOE ON THE SCHOOL NINE Or Pitching for the Blue Banner BASEBALL JOE AT YALE Or Pitching for the College Championship (_Other Volumes in Preparation_) =THE COLLEGE SPORTS SERIES= =12mo. Cloth. Illustrated= THE RIVAL PITCHERS A Story of College Baseball A QUARTER-BACK'S PLUCK A Story of College Football BATTING TO WIN A Story of College Baseball THE WINNING TOUCHDOWN A Story of College Football THE EIGHT-OARED VICTORS A Story of College Water Sports (_Other Volumes in Preparation_) =CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY, New York= Copyright, 1913, by CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY =Baseball Joe at Yale= Printed in U. S. A. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I JUST IN TIME 1 II A HOME CONFERENCE 15 III ONE LAST GAME 23 IV A SNEERING LAUGH 30 V OFF FOR YALE 37 VI ON THE CAMPUS 48 VII A NEW CHUM 55 VIII AMBITIONS 66 IX THE SHAMPOO 73 X A WILD NIGHT 84 XI THE RED PAINT 93 XII JOE'S SILENCE 100 XIII EARLY PRACTICE 107 XIV THE SURPRISE 116 XV HIS FIRST CHANCE 126 XVI JOE MAKES GOOD 135 XVII ANOTHER STEP 144 XVIII PLOTTING 158 XIX THE ANONYMOUS LETTER 164 XX THE CORNELL HOST 170 XXI EAGER HEARTS 178 XXII THE CRIMSON SPOT 185 XXIII JOE'S TRIUMPH 193 XXIV HARD LUCK 200 XXV AT WEST POINT 210 XXVI A SORE ARM 216 XXVII THE ACCUSATION 223 XXVIII VINDICATION 230 XXIX BUCKING THE TIGER 236 XXX THE CHAMPIONSHIP 239 BASEBALL JOE AT YALE CHAPTER I JUST IN TIME "Joe Matson, I can't understand why you don't fairly jump at the chance!" "Because I don't want to go--that's why." "But, man alive! Half the fellows in Riverside would stand on their heads to be in your shoes." "Perhaps, Tom. But, I tell you I don't think I'm cut out for a college man, and I don't want to go," and Joe Matson looked frankly into the face of his chum, Tom Davis, as they strolled down the village street together that early September day.