Produced by Anne Folland, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. HTML version by Al Haines. [Illustration: COOTS WAS DOWNED BY A FIERCE TACKLE ON THE PART OF SHADDUCK.] THE BOYS OF COLUMBIA HIGH ON THE GRIDIRON OR The Struggle for the Silver Cup BY GRAHAM B. FORBES AUTHOR OF "THE BOYS OF COLUMBIA HIGH," "THE BOYS OF COLUMBIA HIGH ON THE DIAMOND," ETC. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. OUT FOR PRACTICE II. ON THE ROAD TO TOWN III. THE STRANGE HISTORY OF RALPH IV. TREACHERY IN THE CAMP V. THE SIGNAL PRACTICE VI. AT THE SINGING SCHOOL VII. THE ABDUCTION OF "BONES" VIII. THE LINE-UP WITH CLIFFORD IX. A HARD FOUGHT FIRST-HALF X. A SCENE NOT DOWN ON THE BILLS XI. CLIFFORD'S LAST HOPE XII. DR. SHADDUCK FEARS AN EPIDEMIC XIII. THE GREAT MARSH XIV. THE DANGERS OF THE MUCK HOLE XV. FRANK TURNS CHAUFFEUR XVI. AN UNWILLING PILOT XVII. A DESPERATE REMEDY XVIII. MATCHING WITS XIX. AT THE END OF THE CIRCUIT XX. FRANK'S LUCK XXI. THE LIFTING OF THE CLOUD XXII. HOW BELLPORT BUCKED THE LINE XXIII. WON BY FOUR INCHES XXIV. THE MESSAGE FROM TOKIO--CONCLUSION THE BOYS OF COLUMBIA HIGH ON THE GRIDIRON CHAPTER I OUT FOR PRACTICE "Oh, what a splendid kick!" The yellow pigskin football went whizzing through the air, turning over and over in its erratic flight. "Wow! Look at old Sorreltop run, will you?" "He's bound to get under it, too. That's going some, fellows! Oh, shucks!" "Ha! ha! a fumble and a muff, after all! That's too bad, after such a great gallop. Now Clack's got the ball, and a clear field ahead for a run! Go it, you wild broncho! Say, look there, will you, Tony; Ralph West thinks he can tackle that flying tornado!" "Will he? Maybe, maybe not, fellows!" called out the ever-skeptical Jack Eastwick, as he watched the rapidly nearing figures. Jack was on the regular team, but not playing that afternoon. "There, he's done it! Wasn't that tackle a screamer, though? That man West belongs with the regulars. He's too good for the scrub team. Mark my words, when we go up against Clifford he'll be doing duty with Columbia's eleven!" "Bah!" sneered Tony Gilpin. "He's still only a greeny; never saw a football till he came here last year. Bones Shadduck taught him all he knows about the game. Take him away from his teacher, and the little boy would be hopelessly foundered, and you know it, too, Herman Hooker." Herman was Columbia's "cheer captain." His sonorous voice aroused more enthusiasm among the struggling athletes when the prospects seemed dark and forbidding, than all other elements combined. As soon as it boomed out over a hotly-contested field, every Columbia fellow seemed to take on fresh confidence, and in many instances that meant a new determination to win the victory.