Tip Top Weekly No. 80: Frank Merriwell as 'Anchor' — page 23: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

FRANK MERRIWELL AS ANCHOR, : 2) time, it was necessary to have two or three and sometimes four bouts in the same event. This was not the case in such a sport as leaping, for there ail the men could compete at the same time, and one set of trials decided the matter. In wrestling it was necessary to draw lots to decide which colleges should com- pete first. Then lots were to be cast to decide which college the winner of the first bout should wrestle with, and so on. Each wrestling bout consisted of three rounds, with a very short rest between each two. As three rounds at wrestling is likely to tire any but the very strongest man, the next bout was set down a full half hour later on the programme in order to give the winner time to rest. It was the same with the tugs of war. One tug was put upon the programme early in order that the winners of it might have time to recover their breath and be in condition to meet the next comers. It would be an impossible task to de- scribe all the many events that succeeded each other rapidly that evening. Every | one had its interest and importance, al- though in the audience at large, as it had been at Yale, the tug of war was watched for with the greatest anxiety and excite- ment. There may be space, however, to indi- cate. the outcome of one or two minor events in which Frank and his compan- ions were especially interested. The first thing on the programme con- sisted of the contests in high jumping and the first bout in whestling. The jumpers went through their work at one end of the floor, while the wrestlers struggled at the other. | The drawing of lots resulted in putting Mellor of Yale against Grant of Cornell | for the first try. The Yale managers almost groaned aloud at this piece of ill luck. senting the other colleges that they feared, it was this same Grant. He was fully as large and muscular as — Mellor, and had easily downed everybody who had met him in his own college. With Mellor in good condition the Yale men would have believed that the chances were at least even for his victory; as it was, those who understood the case were certain that the Vale freshman would be turned down quickly. Of course the mauagers said nothing openly after the lots were drawn, but they exchanged wews in private just be- _ fore Mellor went out to begin his work. ‘“Tough luck,’? remarked Frank be- ‘tween set teeth. “‘T wish we had sent him back to New Haven,’’ grumbled Hill, “It’s a confounded shame,’’ exclaimed Rowland, had a chance to meet Sherman of Har- vard first. Sherman even if he were still half full, and that would give him some kind of a standing, but now he’ll go out there and get turned down so dead easy that every- body will laugh at Yale, and. the rest of our fellows will get rattled.”’ “T don’t think the rest of us will get rattled,’? said Frank, ‘‘and perhaps Mellor won’t be such an easy victim as you think.”’ “Tet us hope that he sets at least one fall,’? muttered Hill. There was no time for further talk | about the matter, and they went out to the main hall to see the event. At the upper end of the floor Higgins was taking his first leap, but the man- agers paid little attention to him. They hoped: he would win, but they were con- fident that whatever happened he would make a good showing, and they could not take their eyes from their champion. If there | was anybody among the wrestlers repre- _ “that Mellor couldn’t have . He could probably throw. wrestler. CORniclooo S CO