e
going to know what to expect to-morrow?"

"We talked it over, and that's what we settled on," came the reply. "So
just hold your horses, Dick, till to-morrow. Fred's going to show you
something then that he's keeping up his sleeve. You mark me."

"Don't take any stock in what Brad says," declared Fred. "I haven't
anything so wonderful, only a little notion that came to me, and which I
really believe does help me get over the ground a little bit faster,
with less fatigue. But wait and see what to-morrow brings along. Now,
Brad, suppose you arrange things so that I can be close to those bushes
over yonder when the pistol sounds for the start. Once I get in there,
I'll drop down, and let the rest pass me. After that I'll find a way to
leave without being seen; and start off on my own hook over another five
mile course."

"And Fred, when you come back, go straight home without showing up here.
I'll let it be known that by my orders you didn't start in the regular
run, for reasons that were sufficient for the committee to give the
order; and that you went off on a little turn of your own."

"Say, I can see the face of the fellow who comes in ahead, and learns
that nothing's been seen of Fred Fenton," remarked Dick, with a wide
smile. "Won't he be just patting himself on the back as a world-beater
though, up to the time he learns Fred never started at all!"

With the crack of the pistol the long line of young athletes surged
forward, amid loud cries from the crowd that had gathered to witness the
start. Many eyed Fred hopefully; for the word had gone around that upon
him Riverport must depend to wrest victory from the grasp of that tall
runner, Boggs, who was said to be a tremendous "stayer," and as speedy
almost as Colon himself.

Fred was following out his little scheme for vanishing. He struck the
edge of the bush patch, and was on the extreme end of the line, so that
he believed he could drop out of the race, and no one be the wiser. By
the time the runners reached the road over which they were to go for two
and a half miles, they would be so far away from the crowd that no one
could be certain which runner might be Fred, and whether he was
pace-maker to the squad or not.

It all worked like a charm too. Fred watched his chance, and falling
back, so that he had nobody behind him, suddenly dropped down flat.
Shortly after, he started to crawl to one side. Here he was able to take
advantage of some trees; and one