The Exter crowd, after cheering for their three opponents, who, in turn, cheered the latest arrivals, took their place in the grandstand reserved for them. The contestants hurried in to get on their togs, which example was followed by our friends.
“Look well to your shoe lacings,” advised Holly to his crowd of athletes. “Don’t have anything slipping at the last minute. Has everybody got everything he needs?”
At once there were cries for various things, from bottles of liniment, or witch hazel, to strips of adhesive plaster, or wrist straps.
“Say! I never saw such a bunch of babies!” complained Kindlings. “You’d forget your heads if they weren’t fast.”
He hurried here and there, looking after the lads as if they were children, unable to do anything for themselves. And, with all this, Kindlings himself expected to take part in several events, and he had grimly made up his mind to win some of them, at least.
“There goes the Boxer Hall crowd,” commented Tom, looking from a window of the dressing room, that gave a view of the field. “They’re out for practice.”
“See anything of Langridge?” asked Sid.
“Yes, he’s there, and Gerhart, too. I’ve got to run against him—Langridge I mean.”
“And Gerhart is in the broad jump, I hear,” added Sid. “Well, don’t let that worry you.”