THE BOYS OF COLUMBIA HIGH ON THE DIAMOND [Illustration: FRANK GAVE NO SIGN OF THE EXCITEMENT THAT THRILLED HIS EVERY NERVE.--_Frontispiece._ _Columbia High on the Diamond_ _Page 32._] THE BOYS OF COLUMBIA HIGH ON THE DIAMOND OR Winning Out by Pluck 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. Price, per volume, 50 cents, postpaid._ 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 GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS NEW YORK COPYRIGHT, 1911, BY GROSSET & DUNLAP _The Boys of Columbia High on the Diamond_ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I ON THE WAY TO THE GAME 1 II A WARM BEGINNING FOR CODDLING 11 III A GAME WORTH SEEING 22 IV THE RALLY THAT CAME TOO LATE 32 V A THUNDERBOLT IN THE SCHOOL 43 VI THE VINDICATION 54 VII THE IMPRINT IN THE CLAY 65 VIII TOEING THE MARK 74 IX A STUNNING SURPRISE 85 X ON THE RIVER ROAD 94 XI A TIME FOR QUICK THINKING 106 XII THE OLD PRINCETONIAN’S ADVICE 115 XIII LED BY A KINDLY FATE 124 XIV SAM SMALLING MAKES A PROMISE 133 XV “PLAY BALL!” 142 XVI MAKING A GOOD START 150 XVII NEARING THE END 159 XVIII AN UNFORTUNATE HIT 167 XIX WHAT UNCLE JIM KNEW 176 XX TWICE A PRISONER 185 XXI RALPH HEARS SOMETHING 194 XXII A PLAIN TALK WITH BILL KLEMM 203 XXIII WHEN CODDLING WEAKENED 211 XXIV WINNING AN UP-HILL GAME 220 XXV CONCLUSION 224 THE BOYS OF COLUMBIA HIGH ON THE DIAMOND CHAPTER I ON THE WAY TO THE GAME “Give it again, fellows! For the honor of old Columbia--now, once more, with a will!” shouted the cheer captain, Herman Hooker. “Ho! ho! ho! hi! hi! hi! _veni, vidi, vici!_ Columbia!” “Cast off there, somebody.” “Start your engine, Frank, old boy!” “Hurrah! we’re afloat on the raging Harrapin at last!” “Got any life preservers aboard, fellows?”