Alameda High School - Acorn Yearbook (Alameda, CA)

Page 10 text:

THE ACORN ‘Last eall for the mile r !’? The hoarse voice of the clerk the course broke into an interval of semi-quietness longed rooting duel between the two rival sections. Harold Conly, lying wrapped in a blanket in the Central High Sehool tent, heard the eall. A erowd of varying senations flooded his brain as he got up, left t tent and walked down the track to ward the start The mile was the Day, and the race would decide meet the two erack tea f Amherst an ih ral igh Sehool had battled for supremacy; the tood thirty-four points Central, three. No other school was near the two rivals except Union High, which had piled us t y-fi ind the mile was the most uncertain race of the day. aptain Warr f Amherst had, on numerous oceasions, sh¢ having won the event for severa yns ba jonly of Central was a dogged, persevering runner, who had ‘ned r the first time the year before, and had sueceed I ki hird place in the State meet, which Amherst had wo his season, however, he had developed remarkably, and it w: lear that the race lay be- tween him and Warren. Now » time had come, the result of the event would decide the fi As the runners gathered around the starter to pick their places there was a perfect babel of noise around the oval. On one side of the track the blue and white pennants of Central swayed hysteri eally to and fro, whi he blue megaphones roared cheers and en- couragement for Conly Directly across the oval the orange and black draped bleachers of A. H. S. roared back their captain’s name and their school yell, while individual voices from all around shouted and yelled approval and advice. It was known that no other atl lete in the race had a chance to win, and the rooting sections of the smaller schools were silent. except for Union, who cheered vo- ciferously for Amherst out of animosity against Central, as the lat- ter school had decisively defeated Union in a dual meet a short time before. The men lined up for the start, and a hush fell on the gay. be- ribboned crowds upon the bleachers. Conly had drawn the inside position; he was pale and nervous. ‘ knowledge that if he won the race his school would win the hard-worked for championship, the awful fear of losing and having to face his team-mates. directly

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ACORN ‘SKIDOO.”’ r day, about, oung Willie Jones ] all ; { broad, appeared from view, mgh in spac reappear d in fiendish glee, The: and eruel; ‘oung Willie “TH get you is skule.’’ at gifts of gab iny freshmen own; think that they’re too young and small talk to men full grown. they tossed him up again, higher than before; Doctor Thompson always said inst his law. vhen he did not reappear, gravity demands; thought that they had only brought A seandal on their hands. They looked up at the flagpole tall, Where their class emblem flew; They saw young Willie sitting there, Which put them in a stew. There sat this freshman all alone. Where every one eould see; He crossed out their class numerals And painted ‘‘Twenty-three.’’ —H. A. K.

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f hard, meet was too much for his meaning look which Warren Bond, the Union High entry, as y stood in line, nor the Woodruff, another ¢ Amherst’ 10, Was crowding him An expectant silence el voice of the starter, figures break into motion with front, assumes the lead, and turn, followed by the bunch. is to run himself out in the ‘awing Conly out and tiring runners try to keep up with he strategem and follow at out, winded. As they turn into lap, Warren inereases his speed by a trifle, from the rest. As Conly starts after him, rts past him, and Bond closes in at his side, cketing him and boxing him in. A couple of the other rectly behind, so that he is unable to around his opponents. Woodruff shortens his al High runner to run slower or be spiked. hus the third lap is traversed, while Warren is running fifty yards thead, wit ‘asy stride peculiar to him. Wild excitement i i and gold bleachers; victory is apparently Suddenly, just at the beginning of the fourth and last f trips and falls directly in front of Conly, who is but tiarold grasp the situation like a flash, and jumps prawling body of his antagonist, landing elear. All rage which has been aroused in him at his foul treat- rges up and possesses him. A mighty roar bursts from t ‘al rooters as the blue upper speeds-around the turn in pursui War 1d faster flew the pursuing figure. Conly was des r. They turned into the stretch for t to t : the good, straining every nerve and every ounce of strength in his body Conly sped on- was beating in great throbs and his breatl “4 1 Came as nearly done, but hate, lent him power. Inch by on his opponent until at the fifty-yard mark they vere abreast. Down the stretch they came, both laboring heavily, their faces drawn and ashen. Neither heard the wild shouts and eries of the rooters as they approached the finish. The white