CHAPTER XIV--A GOOD START
The day of the tournament at Santa Barbara arrived and brought with itlarge crowds of visitors from various parts of the State. There was agreat swarm of strangers in the beautiful little town that lies betweenthe blue Santa Yenz Mountains and the dreaming sea.
The field for the sports and contests lay outside the town, and therethe crowd gathered at an early hour.
It had been arranged that such contests as putting the shot, throwingthe hammer, jumping, vaulting, wrestling, and so forth, should comebefore the races.
Browning had been induced to enter the hammer-throwing and shot-puttingcontests, while Barney was anxious to show what he could do at the highjump and the long jump. Diamond had decided to take part in the polevaulting.
The boys' bicycles had arrived by express the day before, having beenforwarded from San Francisco, and Rattleton entered for the two-milebicycle race, after vainly trying to induce Frank to go into it.
"I'll have quite all I want to do in the hundred yards' dash and thetwo-hundred-and-twenty yards' hurdle," smiled Frank. "I am not going tobreak myself all up at the very beginning of our new tour."
"That's right," said Hodge, significantly; "and you will find WallaceRandom a sharp rival in both of those contests. It won't surprise me,Frank, if you are unable to defeat him."
"Indeed!" exclaimed Merry, lifting his eyebrows and regarding Bartcoolly. "There was a time when you thought no person could defeat me."
Bart flushed and moved uneasily.
"You're a dandy, old fellow," he said; "but Random has a record. He isthe amateur champion of this State."
"And still you are going to be in the hurdle race! That is remarkable.What do you expect to win?"
"Well, I can't do worse than get last position," returned Bart, somewhatsulkily. "I do not expect to beat Wallace Random."
Frank turned away.
Inza Burrage was present to witness the contests, but Frank could notget a chance to speak to her. Effie Random held several conversationswith her brother.
Ephraim Gallup, who happened to pass near them as they were talking,heard a few words from each.
"Beat him if you can," said Effie, "beat him in both races."
"I will," confidently declared Random. "You may be sure of that."
"You don't know him, or you would not speak thus confidently. He alwayswins at everything he tries. I wish to see him defeated."
"Don't worry: your wish shall be granted."
Then Ephraim heard no more.
"Wal, darn my punkins!" he muttered. "I'd like ter know who they betalkin' abaout. You don't s'pose it's Frank!"
He was startled by the possibility, but quickly decided that such athing could not be.
Early on the morning of the previous day, after the Yale Combine hadbeen organized, Frank had hastened to order some suits for the club,which they were to wear while taking part in certain contests. Thesesuits were short, light trousers, scarcely coming to the knees of thewearers, and close fitting dark-blue shirts, each having a large white Yon the breast.
By paying well for it, Merry was able to get several suits rushedthrough, so the boys who were to take part in the sports requiring greatexertion each could have a suit.
The first contest was putting the shot.
There were six contestants, and Browning came fourth on the list.
The big fellow looked fine, and said he felt well, although he growled abit, as usual, because he had to do something besides be a spectator.
The Santa Barbara athletic club also had a big lad who was an expertshot-putter and hammer thrower. His name was Benson.
Benson was the sixth man on the list, that position having come to himby lot.
A slender chap by the name of Cummings, from Salinas, started the ballrolling by making a distance of thirty-three feet and four inches.
This was not beaten till Browning came up.
"Do your best, old man," urged Frank. "You can do a good job if you try.You know big Hickok has a record of forty-two and nine."
Bruce grunted.
"I don't suppose you expect me to beat Hickok, do you?" he growled.
"Not exactly," smiled Frank; "but you can come near him."
Browning limbered up, and then took his position. He was regarded withgreat curiosity, as it had become known that he was from Yale, andsomething good was expected of him.
His first put, however, was a disappointment to everybody, as he fellunder Cummings by five inches.
"Oh, he's too lazy for anything!" muttered Diamond. "He can do betterthan that."
"He will do better," declared Frank.
But, to the astonishment of all, Browning made scarcely thirty-one feeton his second trial.
There were cries of amusement and derision from the crowd, and a voiceshouted:
"Is that one of the wonderful men from Yale? He does not seem to be suchhot stuff. Wait till you see Benson toss the shot."
Browning stiffened up, and his face became set. He glanced at Frank,expecting Merriwell would be angry, but was met with a smile and a nodof encouragement.
"I'll do something this time if it's in me!" Bruce mentally vowed.
He did.
On the third trial he sent the shot whizzing through the air to fall farbeyond the mark made by Cummings.
When the tape was run it was found he had made thirty-eight feet andeleven inches.
Then Browning was given a round of applause, and Frank congratulated himwhen he stepped back into the crowd.
The man who followed Browning made thirty-two feet, and then Benson cameup. Wallace Random said a few words to Santa Barbara's champion shotputter, and Benson nodded, although there was a worried look on hisface.
The crowd of spectators were silent and expectant.
What would Benson do? Could he beat the man from the East?
At Benson's first trial he made thirty-seven feet and nine inches.
This brought some applause, and a man cried:
"Wait a minute! He will show you something better than that."
But to the dismay of Benson's admirers, he fell back to thirty-six onthe second trial.
He prepared for the third and last effort, and it was seen by theexpression of his face that he meant to beat the record if it was inhim. With the shot in his hand, he poised himself for the throw, fallingback on his right foot. The muscles of his right arm and shoulder stoodout in hard bunches, while his left arm was extended, his hand beingclinched.
A moment he remained thus, and then, with a mighty heave, he sent theshot flying through the air.
With a thud, it dropped to the sandy ground and lay still.
"He has won! He has won!"
The cry went up from Benson's friends.
"Wait a moment till the measurement is made," said Frank Merriwell,quietly, as the tape was laid.
There was a great hush of expectancy, and then the voice of the judgewas heard to declare:
"Thirty-eight feet and nine inches. Bruce Browning, of Yale College, haswon over all by a margin of two inches."
A moment of silence, and then the familiar Yale yell of victory pealedlike a war cry from the lips of the college lads.
The Yale Combine had started out with flying colors.