dependent_ contends that beginning with Jules Verne's
mythical hero Phileas Fogg, who in the story negotiated the journey in
the improbable time of 80 days, back in 1872, every record-maker in the
flesh and blood has followed northerly routes averaging the 30th
parallel, thus traversing only about 16,000 miles of the world's actual
circumference of 24,899 miles; and these records have gone down as true
and complete accomplishments! But, because a wrongful practice, one
misrepresentative of its purpose, has been carried on for almost a
century, is it any reason for arguing that the process should continue
in this advanced and enlightened day?

We say NO! It is time for this practice of around-the-world humbug and
cheatery to stop right now. If it takes our fastest modern
globe-trotters a whole year to go around the world by a route equal to
or approximating the equatorial girth, then let it take them a year;
for the sake of our pride and all that is good and sincere let us do
our stunts on the square.

There are no records of an equatorial trip around the world. Who will
be the first to establish one? Let us run a pen through all these
short-cut records of the past, and turn a clean page for the entry of
the first real journey around the fat old world's belt.

As Paul finished the editorial his heart was beating very fast. He was
a true sportsman, and he realized the truth in the bold stand taken by
the _Daily Independent_. His brother John was no less favorably
affected by it.

"Bang me, if that isn't a good article!" said John enthusiastically.
"Mr. Giddings may get a lot of criticism for this from a certain class
of people, but he's taking the right course."

"He certainly is," approved Paul. "I had never thought of it before,
but he points the error out so clearly that almost anybody ought to
realize the need of a fairer route after reading his statements. Just
as he says, it's never too late to correct matters which have been
going wrong, no matter how long."

"I'd give anything I've got if I could be the first fellow to go around
the world's belt," declared John, his brown cheeks glowing with deeper
color at the thought; "I wouldn't care so much about beating these
other chaps in the matter of time, just so long as I made a fair trail."

"Oh, John, wouldn't that be a great trip!" cried Paul.

"Say, look at here," broke in Bob Giddings, who had been near enough to
overhear all of this conversati