Part 16 (1/2)

”I'm going to do my prettiest,” continued Peter John.

”If you let anybody once get ahead of you, Schenck,” said Mott, ”you'll never catch him. If he sees you after him he'll run for his life.”

”He'll have to!”

”What are you entered for?” inquired Mott, glancing at his program as he spoke.

”The half-mile run.”

”Ever do it before?”

”Once or twice.”

”What time did you make?”

”I don't just recollect.”

”Never mind. You'll make a new record to-day.”

”That's what I want to do,” replied Peter John, sublimely unconscious that he was being made sport of by the soph.o.m.ore.

The conversation was interrupted by the call, ”All out for the hundred-yard das.h.!.+” and, as Will was to run in the first heat, he drew off his bath robe and tossing it to Foster, turned at once for the starting-place. He had already been indulging in a few trials of starting, but his feeling of confidence was by no means strong as he glanced at those who were to be his compet.i.tors. There were four runners in his heat, and one of them was Ogden, the soph.o.m.ore of whose reputation as a ”sprinter” Will already was aware. The other two were freshmen and therefore unknown quant.i.ties, but Will's chief interest was in Ogden. He could see the knots of muscles in his arms and back and legs, and his own feeling of confidence was in nowise strengthened by the sight. Certainly Ogden was a muscular fellow, and a compet.i.tor as dangerous as he was striking in his appearance.

The call, ”On your marks,” was given, and Will, with the other three, advanced and took his place on the line. Every nerve in his body seemed to be tingling with excitement and his heart was beating furiously.

”Get set!” called the starter, and then in a moment there followed the sharp report of the pistol and the runners were speeding down the course. Will felt that he had secured a good start, and but a few yards had been covered when he realized that he and Ogden were running almost side by side and had left the other two contestants behind them. Nor were their relative positions changed as they sped on down the track except that the distance between Will and Ogden and the two freshmen behind them was steadily increased. Will was dimly aware as he drew near the line that the entire soph.o.m.ore body had risen and was noisily calling to their cla.s.smate to increase his speed. There was silence from the seats occupied by the freshman cla.s.s, but Will was hardly mindful of the lack of support. Glancing neither to the right nor the left, he could almost instinctively feel that Ogden was a few inches in advance of him and all his efforts were centered upon cutting down the intervening distance.

As the contestants came within the last ten yards of the course, Will gathered himself together for one final burst of speed. His feet seemed scarcely to touch the ground as he darted forward. But Ogden was not to be outdone, for he too increased the pace at which he was running, and when they touched the line that was stretched across the course, the soph.o.m.ore was still ahead by a few inches and had come in first in the heat, while Will was second.

Foster was standing near to catch his room-mate, and as he wrapped the bath robe around him, he said: ”It's all right, Will; you're in the finals.”

”First two taken?” gasped Will.

”Yes.”

”Hold on. Let's hear the time,” said Will, stopping abruptly as the announcer advanced.

”Hundred-yards dash, first heat,” called the senior, ”Won by number ten.

Second, number fifteen. Time, ten and two-fifths seconds.”

”That's good for the heat, Will,” said Foster warmly.

”I'm not in training,” said Will despondently.

”The others aren't either, or at least not much. You had Ogden nearly winded, and when it comes to the finals you'll do him up,” said Foster encouragingly.

Will did not reply, for the call for the second heat was now made and he was intensely interested in watching Mott's performance, for his reputation in the college was even greater than Ogden's. And if he himself had been beaten by Ogden, what chance would he have against Mott? The question was not rea.s.suring, but as the five men in the second heat could now be seen taking their positions on the line, it was for the moment ignored, as intensely interested he turned to watch the race that was about to be run.

In a moment the pistol was fired and the five contestants came speeding down the course. It was soon seen that Mott was leading, but only by a little, though he did not appear to be exerting himself strongly.