g that prize for Riverport
High!" the tall chum exclaimed, and then actually pushing Fred away from
him, he continued, "Now be off with you, Fred, and please, oh! please
beat that Mechanicsburg Wonder over the line!"

Fred saw that there was nothing else he could do. The boy and girl were
safe, and Colon had commenced making ready to tie the man's hands behind
his back with a stout red bandanna handkerchief he carried. Then, too,
Colon had seen several husky wood-choppers nearby, who could be depended
upon to lend a helping hand.

Just as Colon had said, there was indeed need of haste. All these
happenings had consumed more or less time, and possibly Ackers would have
registered at the toll-gate station before Fred, reached there. So
waving his hand to his chum in farewell, Fred shot away down the road,
running with the speed of the wind.

Colon looked after him with a smile on his face. If he felt a keen
regret that misfortune had tossed him out of the great race, he certainly
failed to show it.

"I surely believe Fred will come in first, if anybody can beat that
Wonder they boast so much about," he was telling himself, as he worked
with the make-shift bonds.

Then as he caught sight of moving figures back among the trees, Colon
shouted until the three woodchoppers came hurrying up. It did not take
him long to let them know that if they helped get the man, now coming
back to his senses, to Riverport, it would be the best day's work they
had done that year.

And on seeing how happy Sam and his sister looked at the prospect of
being forever relieved from the brutal guardian who had made life so
terrible for them, Colon must have realized that there may be
compensations, even for a fellow who has been cheated out of his chance
to win a Marathon race.

CHAPTER XXV

THE VICTORY---CONCLUSION

"Oh! there's the cannon! A runner must be in sight!"

When that great assemblage heard the deep boom of the big gun belonging
to the local artillery company, every eye was instantly focussed on the
bend of the road half a mile away. Yes, a runner had suddenly turned the
corner, and was heading in a direct line for the finish!

He ran in a wobbly fashion, as though utterly fatigued, a fact that was
apparent to everyone. They could hear the far-off howls of those who had
waited up the track to welcome the runners. A crowd followed his
progress, but was wisely prevented from breaking in upon the roadway, so