Tip Top Weekly No. 80: Frank Merriwell as 'Anchor' — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

FRANK. MERRIWELL AS ANCHOR. ‘*He’s all right.” ‘Nine cheers for Browning,’ de- manded Parker, and then the tah-rahs came rattling forth like volleys from a battery. Then Parker asked what was the mat- ter with Merriwell, and so on until the others in the team had been compli- mented in the same way. Frank was well pleased, but the com- plete victory was not yet won, and be- sides that, as manager, he had a keenness in all the other contests. So as soon as he could do so he returned to the main room and watched what was going on. The other members of the team, with the exception of Bruce, also returned. The anchor, with his usual indolence, preferred to reinain in his dressing room and rest, although, to tell the truth, he did not feel the slightest fatigue. Frank found nothing to be dissatisfied with, although victories for Yale were not piling up as well as he could have wished. All the Yale athletes had made a good showing, and there was no blame to be cast upon anybody for losing, with the possible exception of the unhappy Mellor, but there proved to be good men in the other colleges, and one by one events were decided with a first place now to Cornell, now to Harvard, now to Prince- ton, and so also to Yale. The longer the evening grew the closer the contest seemed, and at half past ten, when nearly all the events had been de- cided, it was still a matter of doubt as to which college would carry away the trophy. : The tug of war between Princeton and Yale was set last on the programme, not because it was thought that it would settle everything, but because it was the event that created the most general interest. A good many unfinished bouts in other sports were being rapidly worked off. _ As it drew near to eleven o’clock Har- vard and Cornell gradualiy lost their grip upon their chance for first place, and at last, when it was-time for the great tug, it proved that Princeton and Yale scored exactly the same number of points. Therefore the result of the tug would decide whether Yale or Princeton should catry away the tournament trophy. came down on my right wrist. 25 The thing could not have gone better for the spectators at large, but it made the students representing the two leading colleges excited and nervous. The moment the last unfinished bout was decided, Frank hurried to the dress- ing room, followed by the other members of the team and the managers. | He halted at the door with a great start of fear. Bruce lay across the threshold, his right wrist in his left hand, and glar- ing across the room savagely, while his jaws were shut hard together. ‘*Por heaven’s sake, Bruce, what's the matter?’ saked Frank. “‘Pve sprained my wrist,’? he mut- tered, ‘‘and by the feeling I guess I’ve sprained my ankle, too!”’ ‘*How did it happen ?’? ‘fA dirty trick, Frank, and the scoun- drel who did it is somewhere in the roon. I managed to get here at the door so as to © grab him if he should run out, and also to prevent you from taking the same fall I did.’? : The other members of the team and the managers were now at the spot. ‘*Be careful when you yo in,’’ said Bruce. ‘‘The floor has been soaped or greased just in front of those lockers there, and it won’t do for any one else to get such a fall as I’ve had.” CHAPTER VIII. OFF THE CLEATS. ‘“Did you say the fellow was still in the room?’? asked Frank, in a low voice. “Yes, I was sitting near the door with mv head down when I heard a rustling moise back of me. I supposed I was all alone, and turned about to see who had come in. I caught sight of a fellow dodg- ing behind-that middle row of lockers.’? ‘Who was he?” “T don’t know. Never saw him before. I thought he was a thief who was going through our clothes for watches and — pocketbooks, so I made a jump and went for him. | Right at the corner of the lockers my foot slipped and I went down full length. I could have helped myself from being hurt even at thatif it hadn’t been that the floor was so thoroughly yreased that my hand slipped, and my whole weight ECONNICloOe G SS (CO)