Produced by Donald Cummings and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Books project.) CATCHER CRAIG [Illustration: A breathless silence then. The figure on the ledge settled back] CATCHER CRAIG By CHRISTY MATHEWSON AUTHOR OF “PITCHING IN A PINCH,” “PITCHER POLLOCK,” ETC. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHARLES M. RELYEA [Illustration] NEW YORK DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY PUBLISHERS Copyright, 1915, by DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I SAM MAKES A PURCHASE 3 II OFF FOR CAMP 15 III “THE WIGWAM” 26 IV THE BLANKET THAT RAN AWAY 45 V A SLIDE TO THE PLATE 61 VI THE TILTING MATCH 72 VII SAM OFFERS A SUGGESTION 85 VIII THE “BLUES” WIN! 96 IX DOUGHNUTS IN THE RAIN 109 X SIDNEY SINGS A DITTY 118 XI MAKING THE NINE 138 XII ON CONQUEST BENT 150 XIII OUT AT THIRD! 163 XIV TIED IN THE EIGHTH 175 XV STEVE SCORES 188 XVI KIDNAPPED 200 XVII “GREYSIDES” 211 XVIII MR. YORK MAKES A PROPOSITION 229 XIX HOME AGAIN 238 XX THE MAN IN THE PANAMA 249 XXI MR. HALL TALKS BASEBALL 263 XXII BASES FULL! 276 XXIII A THROW TO SECOND 295 XXIV FIRE! 311 XXV SAM SIGNALS FOR A FAST ONE 327 XXVI CATCHER CRAIG 339 ILLUSTRATIONS A breathless silence then. The figure on the ledge settled back (page 342) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE “Well, Craig, so you found us, eh?” asked the short man, with a smile and a firm clasp of the hand 36 And above the din and through the red dust-cloud sounded Mr. York’s voice, “_He’s out!_” 198 “From the ear, Sam! From the ear!” 308 CATCHER CRAIG CHAPTER I SAM MAKES A PURCHASE