[Illustration: “LANKY WALLACE LEADS!” _Boys of Columbia High in Track Athletics._ _Frontispiece_ (_Page 119._)] The Boys of Columbia High in Track Athletics OR A Long Run That Won BY GRAHAM B. FORBES AUTHOR OF “THE BOYS OF COLUMBIA HIGH,” “THE BOYS OF COLUMBIA HIGH ON THE DIAMOND,” ETC. _ILLUSTRATED_ NEW YORK GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS The Boys of Columbia High Series By GRAHAM B. FORBES _12mo. Cloth. Illustrated._ THE BOYS OF COLUMBIA HIGH Or The All Around Rivals of the School THE BOYS OF COLUMBIA HIGH ON THE DIAMOND Or Winning Out by Pluck THE BOYS OF COLUMBIA HIGH ON THE RIVER Or The Boat Race Plot That Failed THE BOYS OF COLUMBIA HIGH ON THE GRIDIRON Or The Struggle for the Silver Cup THE BOYS OF COLUMBIA HIGH ON THE ICE Or Out for the Hockey Championship THE BOYS OF COLUMBIA HIGH IN TRACK ATHLETICS Or A Long Run That Won GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS NEW YORK COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY GROSSET & DUNLAP _The Boys of Columbia High in Track Athletics_ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I DISTANCE RUNNERS 1 II HELD BY THE ENEMY 11 III THE GYPSY CARAVAN 22 IV A MYSTERY OF THE WAGON 33 V ON THE CAMPUS GREEN 44 VI MAKING PLANS 53 VII THE BENEFITS OF DISCIPLINE 62 VIII LANKY’S PRIDE CONQUERS 71 IX AMONG THE NOMADS OF THE ROAD 80 X THE BUNCH FROM BELLPORT 89 XI ALMOST A RIOT 98 XII A POPULAR BOY 106 XIII ON THE HARRAPIN 115 XIV LANKY FINDS HIS CHANCE 124 XV AN ACCIDENT BETRAYS RUFUS 133 XVI LANKY BECOMES A “BARKER” 144 XVII THE GYPSY QUEEN’S MOVE 153 XVIII FINDING OUT 162 XIX THE GREAT DAY 171 XX CLIFFORD’S NEW HOPE 180 XXI WHAT HAPPENED TO BONES 189 XXII COLUMBIA’S LAST CHANCE 198 XXIII THE END OF THE LONG RUN 207 XXIV WHEN THE MESSAGE CAME 215 XXV THE STOLEN CHILD 224 THE BOYS OF COLUMBIA HIGH IN TRACK ATHLETICS CHAPTER I DISTANCE RUNNERS “Our last year at good old Columbia High, fellows!” “I just hate to think of it, Lanky!” “We’ve had some great times during these four years, for a fact; and college can never take the place of this school. And what fierce battles we’ve had on the diamond and gridiron with our rivals of Clifford and Bellport! I’ll be mighty sorry to leave the old school behind.” “Perhaps you miss your guess about me, boys. I may stick to Columbia for another year.”