d Chub with a low bow. "Just keep right alongside
Roy and if he tries to run away from you make him take your hand. What
do you weigh now, Sid?"

"Find out," answered Sid impolitely.

Whereupon Chub tried to catch him and Sid led him a wild chase through
the crowd, finally seeking protection behind Roy. Roy, however, refused
to be drawn into the affair and Sid was duly made to apologize for his
cheek. By that time Horace was giving instructions again.

"The course is the same as last year," he announced. "At Carroll you
must give your names to Mr. Cobb, who will be on the porch of the
Windsor House and at Findlayburg you must give them to Mr. Buckman at
the corner store. The finish will be at the gate here. No fellow whose
name doesn't show on both Mr. Cobb's and Mr. Buckman's list will stand
any show, so you want to be sure you get checked. All ready now,
fellows. Get back of the gravel there, Townsend and Young. Are you
ready? Go!"

The throng moved forward at a trot, pushed and scrambled through the
gate and went across the field. At the farther side was the first
obstacle, a high rail fence, and Sid had his first mishap there at the
outset. He reached the top of the fence beautifully and then
deliberately fell over on the other side into a mass of brush and
wayside weeds. Chub paused to pull him out and put him on his feet again
and Roy waited for them. As a consequence, when they had crossed the
road, surmounted a stone wall and had begun to breast the long slope of
meadow on the other side the three were well toward the rear of the
crowd. By the time the hill-top was reached the field of runners was
well spread out and not a few of the younger boys were already losing
interest in the affair. Jack Rogers was well toward the front now and
Chub suggested to Roy that they close up with him. So there was a little
sprint along the ridge of the hill and they soon found themselves
alongside Jack and with barely a half-dozen runners ahead of them. But
the sprint had played havoc with Sid's wind and he was puffing like a
young porpoise.

"Slow work so far," called Jack.

"Why don't you set the pace awhile?" asked Chub.

"I'll take it through the woods," Jack answered, "if you'll take it from
there to the village."

"All right. Say, Sid, you'd better drop our acquaintance now. You've
done beautifully and I wouldn't be surprised if you came in pretty near
first--counting backward. But you don't want to overdo it at