FIRST BASE FAULKNER [Illustration: Sensing a mix-up, Joe held the ball and raced for second base] First Base Faulkner BY CHRISTY MATHEWSON AUTHOR OF CATCHER CRAIG, PITCHER POLLOCK, Etc. ILLUSTRATED BY CHARLES M. RELYEA [Illustration] GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS NEW YORK Copyright, 1916, by DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY, Inc. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I THE NEW HOME 3 II JOE LOOKS FOR WORK 16 III AUNT SARAH IS SURPRISED 28 IV JOE FINDS A FRIEND 45 V HOCKEY AND JUST TALK 59 VI JOE HAS AN IDEA 74 VII PARTNERS 86 VIII MR. CHESTER YOUNG 102 IX IN THE BASEBALL CAGE 117 X STRIKING A BALANCE 130 XI HANDSOME FRANK 138 XII OUTDOOR PRACTICE 151 XIII THE FIRST GAME 161 XIV A TRY-OUT AT FIRST 178 XV BUSTER DROPS OUT 190 XVI FOLEY IS WORRIED 208 XVII IN THE TWELFTH INNING 221 XVIII EMPTY BOXES 233 XIX JOE ACCEPTS A LOAN 243 XX PURSUIT 258 XXI ON THE WEST-BOUND 265 XXII THE AMATEUR DETECTIVE 278 XXIII “BATTER UP!” 296 XXIV BUNCHED HITS 307 XXV A DOUBLE UNASSISTED 317 ILLUSTRATIONS Sensing a mix-up, Joe held the ball and raced for second base (Page 327) _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE Joe found himself still in the company of Strobe 54 “He thinks he’s a pretty swell little dresser, Foley does” 214 “_What!_” squealed Young. “You ain’t a――a――――” 290 FIRST BASE FAULKNER CHAPTER I THE NEW HOME