“No more chances for me,” declared Shambler. “Too much depends on it.”
Tom wondered whether he meant his own fortunes, or those of Randall, and he could not help thinking of the shabby man who had been so eager to get money from the new student.
“Come on! Come on! Everybody on the job!” cried Holly Cross one fine afternoon. “This is the last chance! Final try-outs this afternoon!”
The crowd of athletes poured from the gymnasium, where the notice had been posted for some time, and flocked out on the field, ready to do their best to win the coveted places of defending the honor of Randall.
“We’ll have the mile run first,” decided Kindlings, after a talk with Holly. “We’ll pick the three best men to go in the games against Boxer Hall, Fairview and Exter. Come on now, you fellows who are going to run.”
An eager crowd watched the preparations and warm-up practice. Then came the crack of the pistol, and the field was off.
It is not my purpose here to describe the preliminary trials in detail, so I will merely state that Shambler came out first in the mile run, with Tom Parsons second and Jerry Jackson third.
“They’ll go in for Randall,” announced Holly, as he jotted down the names. “Now for the broad jump.”
In this Frank Simpson came out ahead, with Sid Henderson second and Pete Backus third.
“But I’m going to win when it comes to the final,” declared Pete earnestly. “I haven’t had enough practice yet.”