FOLLOW THE BALL By RALPH HENRY BARBOUR _Yardley Hall Series_ FOURTH DOWN FORWARD PASS DOUBLE PLAY WINNING HIS Y GUARDING THE GOAL FOR YARDLEY AROUND THE END CHANGE SIGNALS _Purple Pennant Series_ THE LUCKY SEVENTH THE SECRET PLAY THE PURPLE PENNANT _Hilton Series_ THE HALF-BACK FOR THE HONOR OF THE SCHOOL CAPTAIN OF THE CREW _Erskine Series_ BEHIND THE LINE WEATHERBY’S INNING ON YOUR MARK _The “Big Four” Series_ FOUR IN CAMP FOUR AFOOT FOUR AFLOAT _The Grafton Series_ RIVALS FOR THE TEAM HITTING THE LINE WINNING HIS GAME _North Bank Series_ THREE BASE BENSON KICK FORMATION COXSWAIN OF THE EIGHT _Books Not In Series_ THE LOST DIRIGIBLE FOR THE FREEDOM OF THE SEAS KEEPING HIS COURSE THE BROTHER OF A HERO FINKLER’S FIELD DANFORTH PLAYS THE GAME THE ARRIVAL OF JIMPSON UNDER THE YANKEE ENSIGN BENTON’S VENTURE THE JUNIOR TROPHY THE NEW BOY AT HILLTOP THE SPIRIT OF THE SCHOOL THE PLAY THAT WON OVER TWO SEAS (With H. P. HOLT) FOR THE GOOD OF THE TEAM INFIELD RIVALS D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, Publishers, New York [Illustration: THEN HAP FERRIS MADE A PASS TO SAWYER] FOLLOW THE BALL BY RALPH HENRY BARBOUR AUTHOR OF “INFIELD RIVALS,” “FOR THE GOOD OF THE TEAM,” “COXSWAIN OF THE EIGHT,” ETC. [Illustration] D. APPLETON AND COMPANY NEW YORK :: 1924 :: LONDON COPYRIGHT, 1924, BY D. APPLETON AND COMPANY Copyright, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, by The Sprague Publishing Company Copyright, 1920, 1922, 1923, by The Century Company PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. FOR THE TEAM 1 II. A SACRIFICE FOR KENTON 14 III. FRIENDS AT OUTS 23 IV. GHOSTS 37 V. THE VIGILANTES 48 VI. JOE FINDS A CLUE 59 VII. THE LONE CHASE 70 VIII. JOE RESIGNS 80 IX. GUS BILLINGS NARRATES 93 X. GUS BILLINGS CONCLUDES 104 XI. CAMP RESTHERE 116 XII. UNINVITED GUESTS 127 XIII. DOWN THE BROOK 139 XIV. ALONZO JONES SPEAKS 149 XV. ALONZO GOES ON 163 XVI. GINGER BURKE 176 XVII. ONE ALL 187 XVIII. THE DECIDING GAME 199 XIX. GINGER SIGNS UP AGAIN 212 XX. CALLED TO THE COLORS 223 XXI. JOE FOLLOWS THE BALL 237 FOLLOW THE BALL CHAPTER I FOR THE TEAM Joe Kenton, tilted back in his swivel chair, was thinking.