This was not beaten till Browning came up.
“Do your best, old man,” urged Frank. “You can do a good job if you try. You know big Hickok has a record of forty-two and nine.”
Bruce grunted.
“I don’t suppose you expect me to beat Hickok, do you?” he growled.
“Not exactly,” smiled Frank; “but you can come near him.”
Browning limbered up, and then took his position. He was regarded with great curiosity, as it had become known that he was from Yale, and something good was expected of him.
His first put, however, was a disappointment to everybody, as he fell under Cummings by five inches.
“Oh, he’s too lazy for anything!” muttered Diamond. “He can do better than that.”
“He will do better,” declared Frank.
But, to the astonishment of all, Browning made scarcely thirty-one feet on his second trial.