CHAPTER XXV
FINIS CORONAT OPUS
The victors sat at banquet. To be sure, as regarded variety of viandand culinary excellence it left much to desire; in fact it was, Ibelieve, simply called “Dinner” on the _menu_ card. But it answeredall the purposes of a Roman feast. Victory presided, Happiness andMerriment were the guests of honor, and Hunger waited at table.Professor Beck was there, and one of the coaches, and Don, and Wayne,and Whitehead, and Dave, and Gaffney, and Perkins, and Connor, andHardy, and Kendall, and several others; and every one talked as muchas he could and ate indiscriminately of all on the board, and waswonderfully, radiantly joyful. The hotel management had given thema little room to themselves; fortunately for the peace of the otherguests, for it was necessary to cheer loudly and often.
The events of the day were discussed from start to finish and theofficial summary of the meeting was passed from hand to hand around theboard and the figures eagerly scanned.
“Great Cæsar!” muttered Don as he looked it over; “to think that twopoints moved from the first column to the second would have beaten us!It was a narrow squeak, Wayne; if you hadn’t finished a scant footahead of Sturgis----”
“Let’s see it,” said Wayne. Don passed the sheet to him, and this iswhat he saw:
SUMMARY -------------------+--------+--------+--------+-------+-------+--------+----- 1st place counts 5.| | St. |Northern|Warren-|Shrews-|Thracia |Mad- 2d place counts 3. |Hillton.|Eustace.| Colle- | ton. | burg. | Poly- |durn 3d place counts 1. | | | giate. | | |technic.|Hall. -------------------+--------+--------+--------+-------+-------+--------+----- 220-yard hurdles | 8 | 1 | | | | | 100-yard dash | | 5 | 4 | | | | 440-yard run | 8 | 1 | | | | | 120-yard hurdles | 5 | 1 | | | | 3 | 880-yard run | 2½ | 2½ | | | 3 | | 1 220-yard dash | 1 | 5 | | 3 | | | 1-mile run | 5 | 3 | | 1 | | | Broad jump | 3 | 5 | 1 | | | | Pole vault | | 8 | 1 | | | | High jump | 1 | 8 | | | | | Putting 12-pound | | | | | | | shot | 1 | | 5 | 3 | | | Throwing 12-pound | | | | | | | hammer | 8 | | 1 | | | | +--------+--------+--------+-------+-------+--------+----- Total | 42½ | 39½ | 12 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 -------------------+--------+--------+--------+-------+-------+--------+-----
“It was close,” said Wayne, as he handed the summary on to Connor, whosat at his right. “And,” he added in a low voice, “when I think hownearly I lost the thing for you, Don, I feel like kicking myself backto Hillton.”
At that moment the door was burst open and Paddy’s flushed and exultantface peered in.
“Don’t want to bother you, fellows,” he cried, “but thought you’d liketo hear the news. We won at Marshall; Hillton 4, St. Eustace 0!” Heshied an evening paper across the room at Dave and disappeared again.As the door closed Professor Beck sprang to his feet.
“Now, boys, three times three for the nine, and every one yell!” Andevery one did yell. And then the paper was passed around and the briefaccount of the baseball game was read and reread.
“By Jove,” cried Don, “your friend Gray’s gone and done it again!”
“Done what?” asked Wayne.
“Made a home run; and in the last inning, too! What do you think ofthat?”
Whereupon Wayne tried to snatch the paper from Don, and only succeededin upsetting the contents of the latter’s tumbler into Professor Beck’ssalad.
But there is a limit even to the capacity of a triumphant track team,and after a while, when Professor Beck and the coach had made short,earnest speeches, had been cheered to the echo, and had left the room,Don made himself heard and announced that nominations for the captaincyof the team for the ensuing year were in order. Instantly Gaffney andDave were on their feet, and the former was recognized.
“I don’t see any use in fussing with nominations and such stuff; we’veall eaten too much. I move you that Donald Cunningham be re-elected byacclamation and that we all go home.”
Cheering and laughter, cries of “Yes, yes, Cunningham!” and “Secondthe motion!” arose; and Don got up and waited a chance to speak. Whenthe uproar had died down for a moment he said:
“I thank you, fellows, for the nomination, but I can not----”
“Don, Don, Donald C.!” chanted Wayne, and Dave took up the refrain, andin a moment the room was again a pandemonium.
“Don, Don, Donald C., One big captain he!”
improvised Wayne, and the rest caught eagerly at the doggerel andchanted it lustily to the accompaniment of weird music produced byknives and tumblers. Don held up a hand appealingly.
“Fellows, please come to order!” he cried. And when the tumult hadsubsided he went on: “I can’t accept the nomination, although Ifeel--recognize----”
“Hear! hear!” bawled Dave.
“Although I appreciate the honor. I thank you all. I am glad thatwe won to-day and hope that we will repeat the victory next year. Iwill do my best to keep my place on the team, but I must refuse thecaptaincy.”
“No, no!” cried his hearers.
“I don’t feel that I can spare the time from my lessons next year, andI hope you will excuse me and elect some one to take my place. If I maybe allowed to nominate a candidate----”
Cries of “Yes, yes! Go ahead!”
“I nominate for captain Wayne Gordon.”
A chorus of applause broke out. Wayne stared in bewilderment about theboard. “Gordon! Gordon!” cried several; and Whitehead and Dave secondedthe nomination in unison.
“Are there any other nominations?” asked Don.
Wayne leaped to his feet. “I don’t quite know whether this is a joke ornot.” He frowned inquiringly at Don.
Don smiled and shook his head.
“Speech!” called some one.
“But if it isn’t a joke, it’s--it’s silly rot. I am no more fit to becaptain than I am to--to be principal.”
“Sit down,” shouted Dave, “you’re out of order!” But Wayne paid noattention; instead he looked quite serious as he continued.
“To prove what I say, fellows, I’m going to make a confession. You--youought to know about it. I won the mile race to-day----”
“You bet you did!” said some one. “You’re all right!”
“But I didn’t deserve it. I came near losing it by--by mypigheadedness. I don’t deserve any credit; fact is, I ought to be putoff the team.”
The fellows had quieted down and were listening in surprise andcuriosity. Don put up a hand and tried to pull him back into his seat.
“Shut up, Wayne,” he pleaded in a whisper.
“To-day,” continued Wayne, “I was told to get behind Sturgis and tohang to him to the end of the race. Well, I didn’t; I thought I knewmore than the coaches, and Professor Beck and the captain, and everyone. And when St. Eustace put up a game by sending Gould ahead asthough he was going to win the race, I just let instructions go andwent after him. You all know how nearly Sturgis came to winning----”
“A miss is as good as a mile,” said Connor.
“And if he had won St. Eustace would have got the championship, and itwould have been all due to my foolishness. I haven’t felt right aboutit since you fellows were so kind and cheered me, and--and all; andI’ve wanted to tell you the truth, and I have; and I’m glad you gave methe chance. And I thank you for the nomination, but couldn’t take iteven if you still wanted me to.”
Wayne sat down, and three fellows were instantly on their feet. Donrec
ognized Whitehead.
“Look here, fellows,” he said, speaking quickly and vehemently, “Idon’t deny that Gordon made a mistake, but I want to tell you that hewasn’t to blame. The trick would have deceived any fellow that wasn’texperienced; if it had been me instead of Gordon, I would have falleninto the trap just as he did, and I’m not sure that I’d been so readyto own up and tell the truth about it, either. Gordon made a mistake,but he ran the finest sort of a race; he’s got lots of pluck and lotsof go, and we all like him; and I think he will make a good captain, ifCunningham won’t accept re-election; and I move that we prove to himthat we don’t think any less of him for his mistake by asking him toaccept the nomination.”
“Good! Seconded!” was heard on all sides, and in a moment the motionhad carried unanimously. Wayne was very busy making bread pills, hiseyes on the table cloth.
“Silence gives assent,” said Don gayly. “Are there any othernominations?” None spoke. “I move that the nominations be closed,”said Dave. “I second that motion,” said Whitehead. “And I move thatthe election be--be-- Oh, I mean let’s go ahead and elect Gordon,”concluded Whitehead amid a laugh.
“Well, I can’t see the use of balloting,” replied Don, “and as theproceedings have been out of order all evening I guess we might as wellcontinue to have them so. Suppose we take a rising vote?”
“Yes! Rising vote! Go ahead!”
“Fellows, all those in favor of the election of Wayne Gordon to thecaptaincy of the track team for the ensuing year will so signify byrising.”
Every fellow save Wayne was on his feet.
“Gordon is elected,” said Don.
“Unanimously!” cried Perkins.
“Fellows,” continued the ex-captain, “I call for three cheers forGordon.”
And they were given with a will. Wayne, rather pale and uncomfortable,arose.
“Speech! speech!” laughed a number. Wayne cleared his throat, openedhis mouth, shut it again, looked appealingly at Don, and sank back intohis chair. But the team was not satisfied, and renewed calls for aspeech arose.
“Speak your piece, Wayne!” called Dave, and Wayne got up again andstarted bravely.
“I can’t make a speech. But I thank you for what you’ve done, fellows.I’m afraid you’ve made a mistake in electing me; I don’t know muchabout athletics, but I’ll learn; perhaps Don here will help me.”
“All I can,” answered that youth readily.
“I’ve learned a good bit since I came to Hillton, and I reckon I canlearn more. I’ve learned that it’s a mighty good thing to do as you’retold, and to obey authority, and not to think that you know everything,because you don’t; at least, I don’t.”
“You know how to run!” cried Kendall, and the remark was laughinglyapplauded.
“As I said,” continued Wayne, “I’m afraid you fellows have made amistake, but--but I’ll try to prove that you haven’t. I hope every oneof you will help me and try to excuse any blunders I may make; for I’mbound to make lots; I’m not Donald Cunningham, you know.”
A murmur of applause arose.
“I never can be as good a captain as he has been----”
The murmur grew into a cheer, and it was fully a minute ere Wayne couldcontinue.
“And I don’t expect to. But”--he looked earnestly around the circle offlushed and happy faces--“but I’ll try my level best, fellows, and I’lldo all I know how for you and--and for the honor of the school!”
THE END
Transcriber’s Notes:
--Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_).
--Punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently corrected.
--Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved.
--Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved.
--The author’s em-dash style has been retained.
For the Honor of the School: A Story of School Life and Interscholastic Sport Page 25
