For the Honor of Randall Part 46

"Oh, they'll make good, all right; don't worry," spoke Kindlings confidently. "Bean Perkins has a lot of new songs to cheer 'em with, and then with the band playing, our colors flying, the crowd yelling, and the girls looking pretty, why, we can't lose."

"Cross your fingers," murmured Holly superst.i.tiously, with a short laugh. "Cross your fingers, Dan, old man."

"All up!" sung out Dutch Housenlager, as the autos came rolling up to the gymnasium. "All up, fellows. It's do or die, now."

"All ready!" yelled Bean Perkins. "A last cheer before we meet 'em at the grounds, fellows."

The cheer came with resounding energy, and when it had died away, some one called for "_Aut Vincere, Aut Mori!_" "Either We Conquer, or we Die!"

The sweetly solemn strains of the Latin song rang out over the campus, as the competing team rolled away in the autos, waving their hands at their fellows.

"Hang it all, it seems like a funeral!" murmured Sid.

"Cut that out, you heathen!" ordered Phil, thumping his chum on the back.

"Feeling nervous?" asked Frank of Tom, to whom he sat next in the big car, for, though the Big Californian was not to compete, he rode with his chums.

"Just a little. I'm always thinking that I'll slip, or--something----"

"Let the other fellow do the worrying," suggested Frank, and it was good advice.

It was not a long ride to Tonoka Park, and when the autos containing the athletes came in sight of it, the lads saw the grounds gay in colors, while a big throng was already on hand. The strains of a band could be heard, and there were cheers and songs, for the crowds from Boxer Hall and Fairview were already in evidence.

"My! There's a mob!" remarked Tom, as they swung up to the part of the field set apart for them.

"And look at the girls!" added Phil, as he waved his hand toward a section of the grandstand where the maids of Fairview were gathered.

"Will we have time to see 'em before we dress?" asked Sid.

"Oh, you'll make it, whether you have or not," retorted Frank. "You're getting it bad."

"Dry up!" ordered Sid sententiously.

They left their suit cases in the dressing rooms a.s.signed to them, and started across the field toward the stand where they hoped to see Ruth Clinton and her chums.

As they walked along Tom started, and stared toward a section of the crowd.

"What's up?" asked Phil.

"I--I thought I saw Shambler," spoke Tom in a low voice.

"Nonsense! He wouldn't dare show his face here," said Phil.

"I guess not," agreed Tom, and he dismissed the matter.

"Here we are!" cried Ruth, as she spied her brother and his friends.

"And we haven't got your colors, either."

She shook a flag of Fairview in his face.

"Pooh!" replied Phil. "Enough other girls have 'em," and he waved his hand toward a part of the stand where the young lady cohorts of Randall sported the yellow and maroon.

Tom greeted Madge Tyler, and, as he stood beside her, he caught a glimpse of something yellow beneath the lapel of her light cloak.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Don't tell," she whispered, "or I'd be tried for treason, but--I just couldn't help it," and, with a cautious glance around, she showed him a tiny bow of Randall's colors, under those of her own college. "I--I just hope you'll win!" she whispered, and Tom pressed her hand as he murmured his thanks.

CHAPTER x.x.xII

AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR

"Here comes the Exter bunch!" was a sudden cry.

There was the shrill, staccato tooting of a "yard of tin," on the big tally-ho coach that carried the athletes, their manager and trainers.

Gaily bedecked in ribbons it was, and behind came several other vehicles, autos and coaches mingling, carrying the crowd of Exter collegians, who sent cheer after cheer ringing across the grounds of the park.

"They're coming in style," remarked Miss Harrison.

"Wait until you see them go away," murmured Phil. "They won't cheer then."

"Don't be too certain," cautioned Miss Newton.

"That's all right," went on Phil. "We're going to win. I feel it in my bones."

"Look at those boys!" interrupted Miss Tyler. "Those Exter chaps I mean.

They're waving right at us, girls! And we haven't met any of them. The audacity!"

"Can't blame them much, for picking out the prettiest crowd of girls here," ventured Tom.

"Oh, thank you!" chorused the four.

"Humph! Those Exterites have their nerve with them all right," commented Phil. "I hope we take 'em down a peg."

"Say, if you fellows are going to take part in the games to-day, get a move on!" cried Holly Cross, running up at that juncture. "You want to warm up before the events. Come on! the girls will manage to live without you for a while, I guess, and you can come back later with colors flying."

He bowed and smiled at the pretty quartette, and then Tom and his chums, once more predicting that they were going to carry the colors of Randall to the fore, hurried away.

The Exter crowd, after cheering for their three opponents, who, in turn, cheered the latest arrivals, took their place in the grandstand reserved for them. The contestants hurried in to get on their togs, which example was followed by our friends.

"Look well to your shoe lacings," advised Holly to his crowd of athletes. "Don't have anything slipping at the last minute. Has everybody got everything he needs?"

At once there were cries for various things, from bottles of liniment, or witch hazel, to strips of adhesive plaster, or wrist straps.