College sports -- Fiction; Short stories, American; Sports stories; Track and field -- Fiction
I could have told within three inches of what Seever would do before he
made his jump, for he was extremely steady, and had been at it for four
years, and reached his limit. He came down the track awkwardly, but at a
good speed, caught the joist firmly with his big foot, rose in the air
with a grunt, and landed with a thud. The measurer announced twenty feet
one-quarter inch without hesitation, for Seever always jumped high, and
kept his heels together. Two or three others tried, and then came Frost,
our second man, a little fellow with curly black hair. He was a bit
better or worse than Seever, but inclined to be careless, and to-day it
cost him dear. He overstepped the joist so far that he wrenched his
ankle badly and was forced to retire, limping off to the dressing-room
on a couple of the boys' shoulders.
Dick was almost last, and when he was called, he rose slowly, with a
yawn, threw the gray wrap over Seever's head, and walked down the path
as if he cared not where it led. When he turned, he looked up to the
grand stand and gave the little blonde in the blue dress a glance and
smile, for which he was most liberally applauded. At first only a few
pairs of little gloved hands clapped, but they were persistent; others,
who supposed for some reason or other applause was the proper thing at
this time, joined in, and Dick received quite an ovation, although he
had done nothing and was expected to do nothing.
I can see him to-day as he looked then. His arm out for his sprint; his
bare legs, brown and sinewy, but smooth and graceful as a girl's; his
whole figure a model for an artist. He was much surprised at the
applause, for he was not used to it, and did not expect it. The color
rose in his dark cheeks as he started down the path, quickening speed
with every step, until just as his college cheer sounded its first sharp
note he caught the joist, and bounded into the air. It was a perfect
jump, barring a little lack of determination, but with much more fire
than usual. I watched as the measurer pulled out his tape, and was
pleased enough when he gave the distance as twenty-one two. I had been
thinking all the day of the mother down in the old home, whose heart was
so bound up in the success of her boy. I would have given a month's
salary to have been able to send her the telegram she hoped for.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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