e altogether slow compared with the more modern ones."

"Well, I believe in never underestimating an enemy," Fred went on; "and
if all of us feel that we've got to do our level best in order to win,
even against Paulding, that ends the matter."

"Who's seen Colon this morning?" asked Dick Hendricks.

"Not me," replied Bristles, "and it's kind of queer too, because he said
he'd drop in for me at eight this morning, and now it's half-past.
Reckon he forgot, and went on with another bunch. There's always a lot
of boys trailing after Colon nowadays, you know. They just hang around
his door, his mother told mine only yesterday, like a pack of hounds,
calling for him to show himself."

"Well, I guess Colon is the best card in our pack," declared Fred,
stoutly. "You see, he's slated to run in all the shorter sprints, and we
expect him to leave the other fellows at the post, for he's as fleet as
a deer--Bristles says kangaroo, because of that queer jump he has. They
haven't got a ghost of a show in any race Colon takes part in; and I
guess they know it up at Mechanicsburg."

"I was talking with a boy from there the other day," spoke up the tall
student. "I think he was sent down here as a sort of spy, to see just
what we were doing, and get tabs on our men. He owned up to me that if
Colon could do that well in a regular race it would be a procession,
because nobody could head him. They'd just run on in the hope he might
be taken with cramps, or something."

"Who's that hollering back there; looks like Corney Shays?" remarked
Semi-Colon just then, so sharply that the entire group paused to look
back.

"It is Corney, late as usual, and with his nerve along; because he wants
us all to stop and wait for him," declared Dick Hendricks. "Come along
boys, and let him catch up if he can."

"But he acts mighty queer," said Fred.

"You're right he does," added Bristles, taking the alarm at once. "Look
at him waving his arms. Say, fellers, something's gone wrong, bet you a
cooky. I just feel it in my bones. Oh! what if Colon's been taken sick
right now the day before?"

They stood there, silent and expectant, until the running Corney had
drawn near.

"What ails you, Corney?" demanded Dick.

"It's Colon!" gasped the other, almost out of breath, and much excited
in the bargain, they could see, for his eyes seemed ready to pop out of
his head.

"Don't tell us he's sick!" cried Bristles, in real horror.

"Disappeared--never s