Frank Merriwell's Athletes Part 29

This frank and generous spirit greatly impressed Merriwell and his friends.

Browning exerted himself again in the hammer-throwing contest, and won by a good margin.

"Keep it up, fellows," laughed Frank. "It strikes me that the Combine is bound to make a path of glory on its way East."

But they were not to win at everything, as they soon discovered.

Barney Mulloy was a great jumper, but there was a youth from Mariposa who could jump. His name was Lundy, and he beat the Irish boy with such ease that Barney was quite crestfallen.

"Begorra! it's wings he has somewhere about him!" declared Barney.

Then came the pole vaulting, and Preston, of Santa Barbara won, although Jack Diamond was a close second.

"I told you!" laughed Wallace Random, speaking to Frank. "You chaps are doing great work, but we have some good men right here."

"That's right," agreed Merriwell, cheerfully. "You are right in it, and that's a fact."

Then came the bicycle race.

Rattleton did his best, but again a Santa Barbara man won.

Then there was wrestling and other contests in which the Yale Combine was not concerned.

At last the hundred yards' dash was called.

The compet.i.tors appeared from the dressing tent and were greeted with cheers. Wallace Random was given a hearty reception.

There were five starters. They were Merriwell, of Yale; Random, of Santa Barbara; Black, of San Francisco; Cheston, of Yuma, and Harper, of San Bernardino.

The word came, and the starter's pistol cracked.

Away leaped the runners like greyhounds.

A cheer went up from the spectators.

Wallace Random was a great starter, and he leaped to the front at the first bound.

Merriwell and Black were paired, while Creston got off next, and Harper was last.

Frank knew how much there was in the start of a short dash, and he felt that Random had obtained an advantage; but that made no difference with him, for he was there to do his best.

For a third of the distance no one obtained much of a lead. Then Random began to pull away.

But he could not get away from Merriwell, who clung to him like a leech, not more than two yards separating them.

It was soon seen that the race lay between Random and Merriwell, with Random apparently having the best of it.

Two-thirds the distance was covered, and still Random held his advantage.

Then a genuine Yale yell came from Frank's friends, who had gathered in a group near the finis.h.i.+ng point.

That cheer seemed to act like an electric spur on Merriwell. Half the distance between him and Random was closed quickly, and then with a leap he was at the side of the Santa Barbara man.

A single moment they hung thus, and then, as the tape was approached, Frank shot to the front, and was a winner by about two feet.

"'Rah! 'rah! 'rah! Yale!"

Wallace Random was greatly chagrined, for he had felt certain of that race when it was almost finished. Then, in an astonis.h.i.+ng manner, Frank Merriwell had reached his side, pa.s.sed him, and won the dash.

Effie Random said nothing, but she thrust her parasol into the ground with a wrench that broke it.

Frank was cheered and congratulated.

As soon as he could recover from his surprise and disappointment, Random shook Frank's hand.

"You did the trick," he said; "but I'll beat you at the hurdle race. I see you are strong on the finish, and I'll be looking out for you."

"All right," smiled Frank. "If you win that race, we'll break even, but I shall do my best."

Frank noticed that Hodge was not with those who crowded about to congratulate him. He looked for Bart, whom he discovered talking with Effie, and he saw Effie was speaking in an excited manner, a flush on her face.

Frank smiled.

"It looks as if she really wished to see me defeated. I wonder what she is saying to Hodge."

He could see Bart shaking his head, while Effie seemed to be urging him to do something. The more Bart shook his head the more determined the girl became.

Frank was able to watch them but a moment, as his friends demanded his attention.

"Hang me if I didn't know ye'd do it all ther time!" said Ephraim Gallup, proudly. "You're ther same old hustler yeou useter be when yeou was at Fardale."

"Thot's roight, me b'y!" said Barney Mulloy. "It's a pache ye alwus wur, Frankie."

"Yaw," agreed Hans; "you vos a chim dandy, Vrankie!"

The hurdle race was the concluding event of the tournament.

There were other contests and amus.e.m.e.nts to occupy the time between the dash and the hurdle race.

At last the hurdle race was called.

Then Frank was surprised to find Bart Hodge had entered for the race and was ready to run.

"h.e.l.lo!" he exclaimed. "Isn't this a new idea of yours?"

"No," answered Bart. "I entered for this race yesterday."

"You did? That's queer! I knew nothing of it."