The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-01-11
4 FRESHMAN AT U. OF N.
XVI.

The "razoo, ito which you had been
favored with an urgent invitation, was
. thing of the past, and though that
method of getting even" was de-
rounced long and loudly in the Fresh
mans Indignation meeting everybody
smiled when it was referred to; and,
strange to say, no one seemed to know
t4r least thing about it! Everything
of minor Importance, however, was
.,npletely dismissed from discussion
for one of the chief events of the year
the championship contest of the
Maine Intercollegiate Athletic Asso
,lation-was but a few days distant,
and Alumni field was to be the scene
.,f action. For days beforehand specu-
igtion. estimates and hopes took up
tie attention of every one. Whether
.r not Maine could take the champion
ship was question of far more vital
innortance to the student than was
auy phase of the Russo-J japanese war,
., matters of national politics and
ssible and probable points were care
f..y computed by the wiseacres, while
r. Freshman listened attentively to
III conversations and hoped mighty
pes.
he weather man was not inclined TO
En-. favorable to that particular event,
ru the morning which brought the
ae other college teams and their
porters TO the campus, brought also
milling mist and sodden atmosphere.
r,rybody felt the spirit of depression
.ue air. and everybody did his best
oyercome it, so that it was live
orowd gathered to witness the
.Is in the two dashes, two hurdles,
M the weights. before 10 o'clock,
f. Wdoin was represented by large
egation, who occupied one end of
grand stand, and who kept the
wl on the bleachers busy drowning
., PHI Chi"
yerybody apparently realized the
that the contest would be either
IS. or won in the morning trials, and
cheer leaders did their utmost to-
aG arousing the necessary enthu-
-m They were largely new to you
happenings of the day and every
.ut was watched with an interest
It many of the more experienced
...p dad not feel. Nothing very un-
.I-cted happened during the morn
trials. and nobody was much surer
10 the final result would be when
trooped hungrily home to dinner
Ted and somewhat cramped after
hours in the dampneSs of the un-
.-red bleachers. III the afternoon
outside spectators though not so
aarous as they would have been
the weather been more favorable,
,Jr things d bit more exciting and
lrl zest to the cheers from threats
eady beginning to feel the result OF
mornings faithful work. Jack was
t enter in the mile run in the after
son. and your personal interest was,
refore, largely centered in that event.
was evident, as everybody was we'll
aHare beforehand, that the real strug-
gg ay between Bowdoin and Maine,
pyerv contestant was Judged from
standpoint of the likelihood of their
.nae.ug a point to either one side or
.-5'h-r As the afternoon progressed
a-. event 3fter event was run off points
We're aunet almost impartially to the
al y,,,, RON !, itrit ar
ud higher
When the shivering contestants for
the mile came out and you saw Jack
among them. jumping up and down to
keep his slowly congeaing blood i'll cir
cu.aton, Your heart gave tbump as
you recognized the familiar old faded
Tessig gown which adorned his shiv-
e1lug limbs, and you almost felt as if
YOU. too, were to enter the arena. You
knew Just how Jack was feeling as he
rev up in line with the other contest
uts his number Tapping drearily in
lie breeze from between his broad
oulders. At the pistol shot they
W re off, and Jack, in accordance with
Vie trainers instructions, was well
lp toward the head of the BUNCH
which soon strung out to stray
Cling Indian file procession. Each
man, however, was doing his best
TO hold his place, while they all
had hopeless, logged look, to the
spectator. Jack did not expect to do
anything on his own account, but he
tad been selected for the thankless-
except to those who understood-tas
Of breaking the wind and taking the
lead for the crack runner of the college.
1t seemed to you, who were so interest
ed you forgot to cheer, that the men
were merely creeping, but their labored
breathing and straining muscles when
LEY passed the bleachers belied that
ldea. When the appointed place was
reached Jacks pace slackened and the
ead was taken by his running mate"
who kept it until welcomed to trium-
phant finish by the laundering cheers