gh bore his honors meekly.

He utterly declined to let some of the Scranton fellows pick him up
and bear him around on their shoulders, as they threatened to do.
After the prizes had been duly awarded the assemblage broke up, and
the roads leading out of Scranton were soon blocked with hundreds of
vehicles of every description carrying home the visitors.

Even Allandale and Belleville had no reason to be disappointed over
the general results, for their young athletes had fared very well,
all things considered. Of course, most of them would rather have
seen the Marathon won by a representative from their school than to
"scoop in" all the other prizes grouped together; but since it had to
go to Scranton, they voiced the opinion of most people when they
declared they were glad Hugh Morgan had won it, and not Nick Lang.

Even though overwhelmed with congratulations on every hand, Hugh did
not forget his promise to "Just" Smith. As soon as he could get into
his street clothes he hunted a fellow who chanced to have his
father's flivver handy, and easily won his consent to take him along
the road in the direction of Belleville, in order to find poor "Just"
Smith, and get him home again.

This they did without any mishap, and it may be easily understood
that the disappointed boy hailed their coming with great joy. He
knew all about that gruelling finish of the big race in the bargain,
some of those Allandale chaps passing by in vehicles having readily
informed him as to the winner, and what a tremendously thrilling
sight the finish had been.

Of course, since "Just" Smith had not once glimpsed the figures of
his assailants, and as conviction can hardly rest upon a burst of
vindictive boyish laughter, there was no public denunciation of Nick
Lang and his cronies. Everybody could give a good guess, however, as
to who was guilty; and after that Nick was destined to feel himself
more ostracized by his schoolmates than ever before.

The great athletic tournament had proven to be a complete success,
being marred by no serious accidents, for which many a devoted mother
in Scranton gave thanks that same night, even though her boy may not
have won undying fame through gaining a prize. Hugh himself was more
than satisfied, though he would have been almost as well pleased had
it been poor "K. K.," "Just" Smith, or Horatio Juggins who had won
the big race, so long as the honor of Scranton High was upheld.

That was to be the f