The college year had hardly begun before arrangements for this athletic meeting were under way.
As is usual in such matters, where the whole college is concerned, the management was given to a committee of upper classmen.
There were three on this committee, Jack Rowland, and Bed Hill from the senior class, and Frank from the junior.
It was not Frank's intention to take any active part in the contests, although he was well known throughout the college as a first-class, all-round athlete.
It seemed to him better that the contests against the other colleges should be made by those who were specialists in one line or another. He talked this matter over with his particular friends shortly after the term began.
"It won't seem quite right to see you out of it," protested Rattleton, "for when we had our sporting trip across the continent you were always coming in at the last minute to pull victory out of defeat, no matter whether we were jumping, running, playing ball or horse racing."
"That's another story," Frank replied. "When we were sporting it across the continent there were only nine of us, and we were not all Yale students at that. Here there are several hundred healthy men to choose from.
"I don't think there's much doubt that out of all the students now in college there is some one who could beat me at any one thing I might undertake to do, from wrestling to trapeze work."
"But," said Diamond, "if you should go into training for any one event, I think you'd come out on top."
"And that's what I don't care to do!" retorted Merriwell. "I'd rather be an all-round man than be able to do just one thing; I shouldn't know which to choose if I were to start in training."