d thee which thide of your mouth you laugh from, fellowth."

"Well, I've got Mechanicsburg down all pat, Semi-Colon," observed Cissie,
who had smiled sweetly while this side talk was going on, "and now how
about Paulding?"

"Only three entries there," the answer came, "because Ogden was hurt on a
practice run yesterday afternoon, and it was too late to grind a
substitute into decent condition."

"Then they are Collins, Everett and Badger; is that right?" asked Cissie,
as she poised her lead pencil over her little pad.

"Correct," Semi-Colon announced. "You all know who Riverport's boys are
going to be, but all the same I'll just mention them. Their names seem
to roll off my tongue as easy as anything---Sid Wells, Colon, Bristles
Carpenter, and last hut far from least, our splendid all-around athlete,
Fred Fenton."

There was a generous clapping of hands around that section of the
grandstand; although the pair from Mechanicsburg looked scornful, and
shrugged their shoulders in truly loyal style, for they were faithful
rooters for their home town.

"There is no such thing as a handicap in this race, I understand?"
remarked a gentleman who apparently was a stranger in the vicinity, for
no one seemed to know him.

"Oh, no sir, such a thing isn't ever considered in a Marathon race,"
Semi-Colon immediately told him. "Every tub has to rest on its own
bottom, and the fellow who can stand the gruelling run best is going to
come in ahead of the string."

"There are eleven entries, I believe you said?" continued the gentleman,
who was evidently looking for general information, not being much of a
sporting patron, "and if they all start out in a bunch, I should think
there might be some little confusion."

"Not at all, sir," the boy assured him. "Each runner has a big number
fastened to his breast and back, so that he can be known at a distance.
In that way the judges can see any trickery that may be attempted. And
besides, although they may start off in a clump, before three miles have
been run the chances are they'll be strung all along the road, and with
numerous little hot sprints to get the lead."

"And while waiting for them to come in sight, what is going to happen
here?" continued the gentleman, waving his hand toward the open space
before the grandstand where preparations had evidently been made for
other entertainments.

"Oh! amuse the crowd, and keep them from getting too anxious," Semi-Colon
told him,