s on.

The lumbermen started off at high speed, and at first wrought tremendous
havoc among the pies, while Jimmy ate in his usual calm and placid
manner, evidently enjoying himself immensely. Each of the lumbermen had
his following, who cheered him on and urged him to fresh endeavors. Bob
and Joe and Herb said little, for they had observed Jimmy's prowess over
a period of several years, and knew his staying qualities.

At the end of the first half hour their friend was badly outdistanced,
but the other contestants had slowed up noticeably, while Jimmy still
ate calmly on, no faster and no slower than when he had started. He was
only starting on his second pie when all the others were finishing
theirs, but the confidence of his three comrades remained unshaken. They
observed that the lumbermen chose their third pies very carefully, and
started to eat them in a languid way. They were only about half through
when Jimmy disposed of his second one, and started on a third.

"How do you feel, Jimmy?" asked Herb, with a grin. "Are you still
hungry?"

"No, not exactly hungry, but it still tastes good," replied Jimmy
calmly. "You sure can make good pies, Cook."

The other contestants essayed feeble grins, but it was easy to see that
their pies no longer tasted good to them. More and more slowly they ate,
while Jimmy kept placidly on, his original gait hardly slackened. He
finished the third pie and started nonchalantly on a fourth. At sight of
this, and his confident bearing, two of the other contestants threw up
their hands and admitted themselves beaten.

"I used to like pie," groaned one, "but now I hope never to see one
again. That youngster must be made of rubber."

"I've often said the same thing myself," chortled Bob. "Just look at
him! I believe he's good for a couple more yet."

Excitement ran high when two of the remaining lumbermen were forced out
toward the middle of their fourth pie, leaving only Jimmy and a jolly
man of large girth, who before the start had been picked by his
companions as the undoubted winner.

"Go to it, Jack!" the lumbermen shouted now. "Don't let the youngster
beat you out. He's pretty near his limit now."

It was true that flaky pie crust and luscious filling had lost their
charm for Jimmy, but his opponent was in even worse plight. He managed
to finish his fourth pie, but when the cook handed him a fifth, the task
proved to be beyond him.

"I've reached my limit, fellers," he dec