lso be recorded.

Red meant that Mechanicsburg was in the lead; blue that Riverport had
the advantage; while green stood for Paulding.

There was a cluster of runners well up in the lead when they began to
vanish from the view of the spectators. Then the others were strung out;
until last of all a Riverport fellow jogged along, as though he saw no
reason for haste so early in the game.

Still, there could be no telling just where that same laggard might be
when the runners turned and headed for the home stake. He might be
playing the waiting game that so often proves fruitful in such races.

While the contestants were out of sight the crowd enjoyed itself by
sending all sorts of shouts back and forth. Sometimes loud outbursts of
laughter greeted some happy remark from a bright schoolboy or girl.

"Ought to be seeing something right soon now," remarked one of the
crowd, as he looked anxiously toward the signal station on the top of
the hill two miles away.

"That's right."

"I've been timing 'em," said another; "and you're just right; they ought
to be about there by now."

"Hi! look! there goes a flag up the mast!" shrieked a voice.

"It's green too!" howled a frantic Paulding backer.

"Oh! come off! can't you tell a red flag when you see it?
Mechanicsburg's turned the half-way stake in the lead! Didn't we say
Boggs was there with the goods?"

"And a yard wide too!"

"There goes a second flag up, showing that he isn't far ahead, anyway!"

"What's that color? The sun hurts my eyes, and I can't just make it
out?"

"Green! Green! This time you can't say it isn't! Hurrah! Paulding is
close on the heels of the leader. The great Boggs may trip up yet,
boys."

"Oh! where is your great wonder, Riverport? What's happened to Fred
Fenton, do you suppose?"

"There he goes around the stake now; and the three leaders are pretty
well bunched. It looks like anybody's battle yet, fellows. And may the
best man win!"

It was true that the blue flag had followed close upon the green one;
indeed, there was not a minute's difference between the entire three,
showing that some of the runners must have kept very close to each other
during the first half of the race.

But now would come the supreme test. Everybody seemed to draw a long
breath, as they kept their eyes on that point of the distant road where
the first runner would make his appearance, turn aside, and head across
the field for the final tapeline.

"Isn't i