On Your Mark! A Story of College Life and Athletics

  CHAPTER XX

  TRACK AND FIELD

  The class games were notable that spring merely because theybrought into sudden prominence a new and promising candidate in theshot-putting event, one Peter Burley, '07, of Blackwater, Colo. To besure, Pete didn't break any records, nor did he come out first, but hecontributed one point to the scant sum of the freshman class total bytaking third place with a put of thirty-nine feet, four and one-halfinches. Pete's appearance in athletic circles was a surprise to thecollege at large, and those who remembered his prowess at footballand took his size and apparent strength into consideration jumpedto the conclusion that here was a "dark horse" that was going tocarry everything before him and break the college record into minuteparticles. Personally, Pete viewed his participation as a good joke,but he wasn't quite certain whom the joke was on.

  It was evident that he had it in him to become a first-rate man atthe weights, and Kernahan viewed his "find" with much satisfaction.Erskine had for two years past been rather weak in that line ofathletics, and Billy had visions of developing the big Westerner intoa phenomenal shot-putter and hammer-thrower; though, for the present,at least, he said nothing to Pete about the hammer, for fear the latterwould mutiny. Pete had had only three days of practise under Billy'sinstruction prior to the class games, but in that time he had masteredone or two of the principal points and had thereby added seven feet tohis best performance of Monday.

  Billy was more than satisfied, the rival shot men, who had viewedPete's appearance among them at first with amused indifference, wereworried, and Pete was-- But truly it is hard to say what Pete was. Thewhole thing was something of a joke to him, and possibly mild amusementwas his principal sensation, although he was probably glad to be ableto please the trainer, who had taken a good deal of trouble with him,and to add a point to the tally of his class.

  But after the class games amusement gave place to surprise and dismay,for Billy informed him that the spring meeting would take place a weeklater, and that by diligent practise meanwhile he ought to be able toadd another two feet to his record. Pete had been laboring under theimpression that his troubles were over with the class games, and hepromptly rebelled. But rebellion didn't work with Billy; he was usedto it. He had a method of getting his own way in things that was amarvel of quiet effectiveness; and so Pete concluded when, on the nextMonday, he was once more out on the field "tossing the cannon ball," ashe sarcastically called it.

  All that week, up to the very morning of the spring track meeting, hestood daily in the seven-foot circle and practised with the shot, whileKernahan patiently coached him. Pete had the height, build and strengthfor the work, but it was the hardest kind of a task for him to graspthe subtleties of the hop and the change of feet. I am inclined tothink that Billy's oft-repeated explanations went for little, and thatin the end--but this was not until he had been at practise for almost amonth--he learned the tricks himself by constant experimenting.

  The actual putting was very soon mastered, but for weeks Pete's bestefforts were spoiled because he either overstepped the ring or lefthimself too far from the front of it. But when the spring meeting camehe climbed to second place, Monroe alone keeping ahead of him. Thelatter's best put was forty-three feet ten inches, and Pete's forty-onefeet three inches.

  Monroe seemed to Pete to view the latter's efforts as beneath notice,and Pete resented that from the first. As was to be expected by anyone knowing Pete, Monroe's attitude was accepted as a challenge, andPete vowed he would beat the college crack if he had to work all nightto do it. From that time on Billy found no necessity for pleading; Petewas always on hand when half past four came around, and none was moreearnest than he, none worked so hard. Pete had found his interest.

  Meanwhile Allan had done fairly well in both meets. In the class gameshe had entered for the two miles and the mile, had won the first by abare yard from Rindgely and in the latter had finished third behindHooker and Harris. At Billy's advice he relinquished the mile eventthereafter and became a two-miler pure and simple. As Billy pointedout, either Rindgely or Hooker--and possibly Harris, who was coming onfast--was capable of beating Robinson at the mile, and it was betterfor Allan to put all efforts into the two miles, in which, so far aswas known, Robinson at present excelled. Allan had hard luck at thespring meeting, getting away badly in the first place and taking atumble in the next to the last lap that put him out of the race sofar as the places were concerned. Conroy staggered in ten yards aheadof Rindgely, Harris securing third place, and Allan finishing a poorfourth.

  By this time the training table was started, and Pete, much to hisdelight, temporarily deserted the freshman club table up-stairs andmoved to the first-floor front room, where Allan, Rindgely, Hooker,Harris, Conroy, Stearns, Thatcher, Poor, Leroy, Monroe, Long, andseveral others whose names we have not heard, were congregated underthe vigilant eyes of Billy Kernahan. I don't think Pete was properlyimpressed with the honor conferred upon him by his admission to thetraining table, but he was glad to be with Allan again and ratherenjoyed the novelty of having his meals arranged for him. If it had notbeen that training required the relinquishment of his beloved corn-cobpipe, I think Pete in those days would have been perfectly happy.

  Meanwhile, at another training table farther around the bend of ElmStreet, Hal was one of the stars of the freshman nine. Of the quartet,Tommy only was not head over ears in athletics, but the fact didn'ttrouble him a scrap. He had all he could do--and a trifle more--andwas laboring, besides, under the harmless delusion that the college'ssuccess on diamond, track, and river depended largely upon hissupervision and advice. Whenever he had time, which wasn't very often,he delighted to stand beside the lime-marked ring and offer gems ofinstruction in the art of putting the shot to Pete. And Pete, who wasmiserable without companionship, stood it smilingly for the sake ofTommy's presence. In the evenings Tommy frequently found a moment ortwo in which to look up Allan or Hal and give them the benefit of hisadvice regarding playing second base or running the two miles. Butthose young gentlemen exhibited a strange and lamentable impatience,and Tommy quite often left their presence under compulsion or justahead of a flying boot.

  Meanwhile the spring vacation came and went. Of the quartet, Hal andTommy went home, and Allan and Pete stayed at college, Allan frommotives of economy and Pete because nothing better offered.

  After recess baseball held the boards and the varsity team was half-waythrough its schedule by the first week in May, and had but two defeatsbehind it. On the track the candidates were put through their pacessix days a week. Erskine was almost sure of victories in the sprints,equally certain of defeats in the middle distances, expected to win themile, was in grave doubt as to the two miles, and hoped to share thehurdles with her opponent. In the field events, the high jump alone wascertain to yield a first to the Purple. The pole vault, broad jump, andboth weight events were of doubtful outcome. As Tommy figured it outin the columns of "his" paper about this time, Erskine had a chance ofwinning by seven points. But as second and third places were almostimpossible to apportion with any accuracy, this forecast was not ofmuch value. The dual games with Robinson came on May 28th. A fortnightbefore that Allan's work was stretched over six days, as follows:

  Monday, a two-mile run at an easy pace.

  Tuesday, a fast mile, followed by an easy three-quarters.

  Wednesday, a hard, fast mile.

  Thursday, two miles and a half in easy time.

  Friday, a mile and a half at medium speed.

  Saturday, a time trial over the two miles.

  This was hard work and lots of it, but Allan's physical conditioncould scarcely have been bettered, and never, from the beginning ofoutdoor practise until the big event was over with, did he go "fine"for a moment. Twelve days before the meet Allan had his last trial, andwhen, still running strongly, he crossed the finish line, Billy's watchclicked at 9:53-5/8.

  Billy smiled cheerfully enough, but down in his heart he wasdisappointed. He had expected better things.

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