TheGreatestAmericanAthlete

　　Therailroadstationwasjammed.StudentsfromLafayetteCollegewerecrowdingontothetrainplatformeagerlyawaitingthearrivaloftheCarlisleIndianSchool'strackandfieldsquad.NOonewouldhavebelieveditafewmonthsearlier.Aschoolthatnobodyhadheardofwassuddenlybeatingbig,famouscollegesintrackmeets.SurelytheseCarlisleathleteswouldcomechargingoffthetrain,oneafteranother,likeaMarinebattalion.Thetrainfinallyarrivedandtwoyoungmen——onebigandbroad,theothersmallandslight——steppedontotheplatform.“Whereisthetrackteam?”aLafayettestudentasked.“Thisistheteam,”repliedthebigfellow.“Justthetwoofyou?”

　　“Nope,justme,”saidthebigfellow.“Thislittleguyisthemanager.”

　　TheLafayettestudentsshooktheirheadsinwonder.Somebodymustbeplayingajokeonthem.IfthisbigfellowwasthewholeCarlisletrackteam,hewouldbecompetingagainstanentireLafayettesquad.

　　Hedid.Heransprints,heranhurdles,herandistantraces.Hehigh-jumped,hebroad-jumped.Hethrewthejavelinandtheshot.Finishingfirstineightevents,thebigfellowbeatthewholeLafayetteteam.

　　ThebigfellowwasJimThorpe,thegreatestAmericanathleteofmoderntimes.

　　火车站挤得水泄不通.拉斐德学院的学生们一齐拥上站台,热切地等待着卡莱尔印地安人学校田径队的到来.倘若在几个月前,准没有人相信,一个谁也没听说过的学校,会在田径场上突然大败许多有名的大学.不用说.这些卡莱尔的运动员抵达后,准会象一营海军陆战队队员那样,一个接一个冲下火车.

　　火车终于到站了,两个年轻人——一位,个儿高,体态魁梧；另一位,个儿矮,长相瘦弱——踏上了站台.

　　“田径队在哪儿?”一位拉斐德的学生问道.

　　“就在这儿,”大个子回答道.

　　“就你们两个?”

　　“不,就我一个,”大个子说.“这位小兄弟是领队.”

　　拉斐德的学生们诧异地摇摇头.一定有人在和他们开玩笑.如果卡莱尔田径队就只有大个子一人,那他就得和整个拉斐德田径队比试高低了.

　　确实如此.他短跑、跨栏、长跑、跳高、跳远.他又投标枪又掷铅球.大个子赢得八项第一,一个人击败了整个拉斐德田径队.

　　这位大个子就是美国现代最伟大的运动员吉姆.索普.

　　还是太长