Randall College

“ While most of the crowd consisted of students from Randall College, there were not a few lads and girls from the neighboring town of Haddonfield, and the shrill voices of the lassies and the hoarser shouts of the boys, mingled musically that [8] moonlit night. The clang of bells on the bobs was constant.
“Come on now, get ready!” called Tom. “Let’s take a crowd down.”
“Who’s going to steer?” asked Phil.
“Let Frank,” advised Sid. “He’s got the most muscle, and he needs exercise.”
“I like your nerve,” retorted the Big Californian. ”

“ RANDALL’S HONOR CLEARED
“Come on boys! One last song!” begged Bean Perkins of his well-nigh exhausted lads. “One last song to celebrate the victory!”
They gave it with a will, followed by cheer after cheer,—for the team, for the college, for the colors, for their rivals, for the girls—anything and everything was cheered.
Exter, Boxer Hall and Fairview nobly did their share, too. They paid full tribute to their successful rivals.
“And we win! We win! We win!” cried Kindlings, as he capered about the group of tired but happy athletes. ”

“ The four chums—the “Inseparables,” as they were called, slipped off their lounging jackets—at least Sid and Phil did, for Tom already had done so—and soon all were on their way to Sunny River, on the bank of which the various buildings of Randall College were situated. Over the soggy campus they took their way, meeting no one, for no one else seemed to have the courage to venture out. ”

“ Holly and Langridge passed into the east dormitory, where they had been preceded by the other group of freshmen. This building was given over to rooms for the first year and senior students, while in the west dormitory the sophomores and [11] juniors, as being the least likely to indulge in hazing and horse-play, did their studying and sleeping.
There are few institutions of learning better known throughout the Middle West than Randall College. ”

“ 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. ”

“ As soon as it becomes known that Shambler has confessed, there will be a lot of talk. Fortunately [234] Randall can’t be scorned. We have done our duty. Now there’s this charge against me. There are some complications in it. I believe——”
“A fair committee would never bar you,” broke in Tom.
“Perhaps not,” admitted Frank. “But we don’t want any question raised. Boys,” he went on, and his voice was solemn, “we have to think of the honor of Randall before we think of ourselves. It’s the college and not the contestants who will be exalted, or dragged down, as the case may be. ”

“ It was now Winter at Randall, a glorious Winter, following a glorious football season. For several years it had been the custom for the students to indulge in coasting on a big hill about a mile away from the college. Some of the lads clubbed together and had built fine, big bobs, with foot rests, carpet on the top, with immense gongs to sound warning, and with steering wheels that [6] equalled those of autos, while some had drag brakes, to use in case of emergency.
The bob owned jointly by Tom Parsons, Sid Henderson, Phil Clinton and Frank Simpson, was one of the best in Randall. ”

“ With laughter and gay talk, now that they had made up their minds to adopt Tom’s suggestion, and go coasting, the four chums, than whom there was no more devoted quartette in Randall, passed out into the corridor. As they descended the stairs they heard a subdued hum that told of other students bent on the same errand, and, when they had a glimpse of the snow-covered campus, they beheld many dark figures hurrying along, dragging single sleds or big bobs after them. ”

“ Here he obtained a fine classical education, but owing to delicate health could not entirely finish his course. His work in life has been chiefly editorial, and at different times he has been connected with the newspapers of Augusta, New Orleans and Baltimore, and has never devoted himself exclusively to literature. In 1861 James Ryder Randall was, though very young, a professor at Poydras College upon the Fausse Rivière of Louisiana. ”

“ There are others at Boxer Hall more to be feared than those two. I tell you we’re not going to have a walkover. Exter is going to show up strong, too, for a new college.”
A group of lads were gathered about a table on which were several sporting papers, containing [99] a number of photographs of athletes, and showing scenes at various meets.
“I tell you fellows what it is,” put in Shambler, who seemed to have gotten very much at home in the few weeks he had been at Randall, “practice is the only thing that will help us win the championship. ”

“ Tom Parsons and his friends Phil and Sid are the leading players on Randall College team. There is a great game.
4. THE WINNING TOUCHDOWN A Story of College Football
After having to reorganize their team at the last moment, Randall makes a touchdown that won a big game.
5. FOR THE HONOR OF RANDALL A Story of College Athletics
The winning of the hurdle race and long-distance run is extremely exciting.
6. THE EIGHT-OARED VICTORS A Story of College Water Sports
Tom, Phil and Sid prove as good at aquatic sports as they are on track, gridiron and diamond. ”

“ Out from their rooms, or the gymnasium, poured the athletes, eager as young colts, and as confident as all young lads are. Tom Parsons was fully himself again, Dr. Marshall’s treatment having put him on his feet. All efforts to learn more about the “doped” bottle of medicine had [276] been dropped, and very few in the college even knew about it.
Sid, too, was trained to the minute, and the others, on whom Randall based her hopes, gave every promise of making good. ”

“ To the right of the college proper was Biology Hall, the endowment gift of an old graduate, and not far from that was the residence for the faculty. Directly in the rear of the main building were the dormitories, the east one for the freshmen and sophomores, and that on the west for the juniors and seniors.
[13]
As for the lads who attended Randall, you will meet more or less of them as this story progresses. Sufficient to say that Tom Parsons, Phil Clinton and Sid Henderson roomed together, being called the “inseparables.” ”

“ In addition to the hurdle race a number of events for the younger lads in the [204] preparatory departments of each college were to be run off.
Boxer Hall, Fairview and Exter had their cheer leaders at work, and a riot of “melody,” if such it can be called, welled forth. It was a beautifully sunshiny day, just warm enough, and the track, with the new hurdles supplied by Randall, was in perfect shape.
“There are the girls!” exclaimed Phil, as he and his chums started toward the dressing rooms. ”

“ George Barth had been substituted, some time back, for Bean Perkins, who said he would be of more service to Randall cheering for her, than competing in the weight-throwing contest.
“Oh, we’ll win all right,” asserted Dutch Housenlager, with an air of easy confidence, at which Kindlings shook his head.
There was a silence while the announcer made the statement about the opening event, and then, as the various contestants came forward, there were cheers for the representatives of each college.
“Everybody ready?” ”

“ RANDALL, JOHN (1570–1622) , puritan divine, was born in 1570 at Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, and sent when only eleven to St. Mary Hall, Oxford, where he matriculated on 27 Nov. 1581. He removed to Trinity College, and graduated B.A. on 9 Feb. 1585; was elected a fellow of Lincoln College on 6 July 1587, and proceeded M.A. on 9 July 1589. Among his pupils at Lincoln was the puritan Robert Bolton [q. v.] On the occasion of Queen Elizabeth's visit to Oxford, in August 1592, Randall was appointed to ‘frame and oversee the stage for the academical performance given’ in her honour. ”

“ I formally charge that Jacob Shambler is a professional ball player, that he has played in a number of games for money, and that he has taken part in other sports as a professional. I claim that he was asked to leave Harkness college for that reason, and if he is to take part under the colors of Randall, then every Exter man will refuse to compete. ”

“ There were several rowing craft, owned by the college, which were used in common by the students, it being a case of first come first served. In addition a number of the lads had boats of their own, but Tom was not one of the lucky ones.
“There’s Holly’s skiff,” remarked the Big Californian, as the two came near the boat house. “He won’t use it to-day, as he’s gone to a meeting of the athletic committee over at Exter. Let’s pinch that.”
“All right, I guess he won’t mind. It’s the only decent one left, anyhow.”
“I wonder why Randall never did much shell [184] racing?” ”

“ He wanted to know something about athletics, whether we’d have a ball team or not. I said we probably would, and then he wanted to know what show there was for track athletics. I didn’t know, so I couldn’t tell him. Then I thought he was getting too friendly on short notice, so I shook him.”
“Nice way for one of Randall’s old stand-bys to treat a stranger, in a strange land,” commented Phil.
“Oh, he won’t be a stranger long,” declared Tom. “He has brass enough to carry him anywhere. He’ll get along. I don’t believe we want him in our crowd, anyhow.” ”

“ Tom paused in the doorway, one arm in and the other out of his coat.
“I’m going out,” he answered. “It’s too nice to stay in. The coasting must be great on Ridge Hill, and with this moon—say it’s a shame to stay in! That’s what I’ve been trying to ding into you fellows, only you wouldn’t listen. Why, half of Randall must be out there to-night.”
“What about Proc. Zane?” asked Sid, referring to the proctor, who kept watch and ward over the college.
“Nothing doing,” answered Tom. “A lot of the fellows went to Moses after the last lecture and got permission to take their bobs over on the hill. ”

“ Randall, James Ryder, journalist and poet, b. 1 Jan., 1839, at Baltimore, Maryland; d. 15 Jan., 1908, at Augusta, Georgia. As author of "Maryland, my Maryland", the famous war song of the Confederacy, he has been frequently styled the "Poet Laureate of the Lost Cause". He received his education at Georgetown University, but did not graduate. He travelled in South America and the West Indies and upon returning to the United States, accepted the chair of English Literature at Poydras College, Pointe-Coupée, La., then a flourishing Creole institution. ”

“ Available material was talked of, and every day saw more and more candidates in the gymnasium, out on the cinder path, or in the hammer circle.
“Have you any line of what Boxer Hall is doing?” asked Tom of Dan Woodhouse one afternoon, when a number of the lads were gathered in the reading room of the gymnasium after some hard practice.
“Well, they’re going strong,” replied Kindlings. “But if we all keep on the job here at Randall, and do our best, I think we can win. But every fellow has got to do his best.”
“Sure,” assented Sid.
“Are Langridge and Gerhart entered?” Frank wanted to know. ”

“ But if Randall worked hard, so did her rivals. From the other two colleges came news of cross-country runs for the improvement of the wind of the rowers. The training was reduced to a more [256] scientific basis. It was even rumored that Boxer Hall had imported a well-known physical instructor to assist the coach. And Fairview had summoned a number of old graduates, who had made their marks while at college, to assist in turning out a championship crew or crews. ”

“ Sid! It’s up to you!” yelled Phil, but it was not to be. Sid, well to the fore, was doing his best, but he had been depending on Jerry, and it was too late now to make the needful spurt.
Over the finish line burst George Birch, carrying the colors of Exter, and behind him came Frank Sullivan, of Fairview, with Pinkey Davenport, of Boxer Hall, a close third.
Randall had lost!
The echoes of the “Conquer or Die” song rolled away, and there came a silence. It was broken a moment later by a “locomotive-automobile” cheer from the cohorts of Exter, and then the other successful colleges joined in. ”

“ They tended to show that Shambler had been one of the best amateur all-round athletes in the West. But he began going with a “sporty” set, and, needing more money than his folks could supply him, he accepted the invitation of a professional ball team to play for them one Summer. He managed to conceal the fact and returned to his college as an amateur until chance betrayed him. Then, having found in professional athletics a comparatively easy way to make money, he continued along that line, coming to Randall under false colors. ”

“ Come on over, and we’ll talk to some of the fellows about it.”
“Now I wonder what in the world is up?” mused Tom. “They were certainly talking about Shambler, and from what they said it seems as if that wasn’t his name. I wonder if there can be anything wrong? Jove! I hope not, for the sake of Randall. And yet what could it be? Maybe he isn’t the best kind of a character, but that can’t make any difference in his standing as an athlete. If these Exter fellows are as squeamish as that, it’s time we knew it.” ”

“ But Tom remained stretched out on the sofa, with his arms up over his head, and his eyes fixed on the ceiling.
“Everybody out for practice to-day!” ordered Holly Cross the following afternoon, as a crowd of lads poured forth from Randall at the close of the last lecture of the day. “Shot-putters, weight [131] throwers, runners, jumpers, hurdlers—everybody on the job!”
“What’s the rush?” asked Phil. “Anything new?”
“Well, yes, in a way. The committee from the four colleges met last night, and we’ve practically decided to hold the meet. ”