FRED FENTON MARATHON RUNNER

The Great Race at Riverport School

By Allen Chapman

File uses: _italic_ notation

CONTENTS

CHAPTERS I. In the Snow II. The Battle Between Old Rivals III. Up the Mohunk on an Ice-boat IV. The Rescue, and a Mystery V. Looking Over the Course VI. The Wild Dog Pack VII. The Short-Cut Way VIII. The Tell-Tale Pin IX. At the Toll-Gate X. Bristles' Surprise Party XI. On the Green Campus XII. Laying Plans XIII. The Muffled Voice XIV. A Plot That Failed XV. Clinching Evidence XVI. Telling Bristles XVII. Lining Up for the Trial SpinXVIII. Caught by the Storm XIX. The Boy in the Haymow XX. When the Circus Came to Riverport XXI. The Greatest of Days XXII. "They're Off!"XXIII. The Marathon Runners XXIV. When Duty Called XXV. The Victory---Conclusion

CHAPTER I

IN THE SNOW

"Now then, let's see who can put a shot through that round hole in thetree-trunk up there. Take a try, Sid. "

"Must be twenty yards away from here, if a foot, eh, Bristles?"

"More like twenty-five to me, Colon; and looks farther than from firstbase to third, on the diamond. "

"Line up, everybody, and we'll soon find out who takes the cake at makinga center shot. But hadn't we better bar out Fred Fenton?"

"What for, Bristles?"

"Why, because he's the regular pitcher on the Riverside High School nine:he's used to putting 'em over the plate for a steady diet. "

"That's a fact, and Fred, you'll have to consider yourself handicapped inthis little contest of skill. "

"Anyhow, wait till we've had our fling, Fred; and then if nobody seems toget a bull's-eye, you might show us how to do the job. "

"All right, boys, that suits me. And while you bombard that poor oldtree, I'll be amusing myself making one good firm snowball, against thetime my turn comes. "

"Go at it, fellows! There, did you see me smack one just a foot belowthe hole? Gee! that was a sure-enough dandy hit of yours, Bristles;closer by six inches than mine. Everybody put your best licks in!"

The hard balls flew thick and furiously, for it happened that the ratherheavy fall of snow was just moist enough to be easily pressed into thefinest of missiles for boyish use. 

Many of these swiftly thrown balls missed the tree-trunk entirely. Others splattered here and there against the bark, leaving a tell-talewhite mark. A few came dangerously near the yawning opening; but not asingle one thus far had managed to disappear within the gap. 

The boy who had been called Fred Fenton, having manipulated a singlesnowball in his hands, stood there watching the onslaught, andoccasionally speaking words of encouragement to those who were takingpart in the spirited contest. 

"That was a corker, Sid Wells, and it would have done the business ifyou'd only put an ounce more of speed in your throw, so as to have raisedit three inches. Good boy, Brad, you left a mark just alongside thehole, so some of it must have spattered in the hollow! Not quite sofierce, Bristles; that one would have landed, if you'd been a little lesspowerful in your throw!"

Presently some of the boys began to grow weary of the sport. 

"What's the use of our trying to hit that mark so far away?" grumbledBristles; which expression of defeat was something strange to hear fromhis lips, because the owner of the shock of heavy hair that stoodupright, and had gained him such a peculiar nick-name, was as a rule verystubborn, and ready to stick to the very end. 

"Let Fred show us how!" suggested Sid Wells, who was known as theparticular chum of the pitcher, he being the son of a retired professor, now engaged in wonderful experiments which might some day astonish theworld. 

The rest of the boys seemed ready to join in the chorus, and make way forthe ball flinger. They had watched this same Fred send his dazzlingshots over the plate with such wonderful speed and accuracy that he heldthe strike-out record for the high school league. 

"Remember I'm hardly in practice just now, " Fred told them, laughingly;"though Sid and myself have been putting over a few, just to warm upthese days when it feels as if Spring might be flirting with Winter. Onthat account I hope you won't expect too much from me; and give me threechances to make a bull's-eye. "

"Sure we will, Fred!" exclaimed Bristles. 

"Take six if you want to, " added the generous Colon, who was a verylong-legged fellow, a magnificent sprinter, with a peculiar habit ofleaping as he ran, that often reminded people of the ungainly jumps of akangaroo. But he nearly always "got there with the goods. "

"No, three ought to be plenty!" declared Fred, as he prepared to send hisfirst one in. 

It struck just below the edge of the opening, being really a better shotthan any of the scores that had marked the tree-trunk up to that time. The rest of the half dozen boys gave a shout. 

"Clipped the edge of the plate that time, Fred!" cried Bristles, whosereal name was Andy Carpenter. 

"Two inches higher, and it would have gone straight in. Now you've foundthe rubber, strike him out, Fred. You can do it! I ought to know, because haven't I been your backstop many a time, and watched them spinstraight across?" and Sid Wells handed his chum a ball he had squeezedinto a shape that was as nearly round as anything could be, and also ashard as ice. 

Bristles, too, presented his contribution, so that the candidate forhonors stood there with a missile in each hand. He looked carefully atthe trees as though measuring the distance and height with that practicedeye of his. Then they saw him draw back his arm after the same manner inwhich he delivered the ball during an exciting part of a hotly contestedgame of ball. 

The shot went true to the mark, and as they saw it vanish in the cavity, a shout arose from the five boys. This burst out in redoubled violencewhen, as quick as a flash, Fred sent the second snowball exactly afterthe first, so that it too went straight into the dark hole. 

While they continue to express their delight, by shouts, and slappingFred on the back, perhaps it might be well to say a few words concerningFred Fenton and his friends. 

They were all Riverport boys, and attended the high school there. Fredand two of the others were taking a post graduate course, meaning toenter college during the following season. 

In the pages of the first volume of this series, entitled "_Fred Fenton, the Pitcher_, " we had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of most ofthe boys who were to play prominent parts in the events taking placealong the banks of the Mohunk River, where two other towns, Mechanicsburg, three miles up, and Paulding, seven miles down the river, were rivals of Riverport. 

Turning from baseball, as the Summer waned, the boys of Riverportnaturally took to the gridiron, and their struggles for supremacy withrival teams are to be found in the second story, called: "_Fred Fenton inthe Line_. "

When Summer came again, other sports took the energetic lads of the rivertown by storm. With such splendid opportunities for boating, as werepresented by the Mohunk River, of course they availed themselves of thechance to again enter into competition with those whose one ambitionseemed to be to defeat Riverport. These lively encounters are set forthin the pages of the third volume, entitled "_Fred Fenton on the Crew_. "

The next Winter the three towns became so filled with enthusiasm over thegreat advantages of athletic training, that fine gymnasiums wereorganized through public subscription. In time a meet had beenorganized, and there were some fierce struggles for supremacy between therival towns. Just how the boys of Riverport carried themselves in theseexciting happenings, and what measure of success perched on their banner, you will find narrated in the pages of the fourth volume, just precedingthis book, under the title of "_Fred Fenton on the Track_. "

The Winter had now almost reached its conclusion, though some of the boyswho claimed to be weather-wise declared that they would very likely havejust one more cold snap before the final break-up. 

They hoped it might be severe enough to give them a last chance to skateupon the Mohunk, and use their ice-boat again. The ice had become pretty"punky, " as Bristles called it, with numerous airholes that threateneddisaster in case one went too close, so that for several days Fred andhis chums had avoided the river. 

This trip up into the woods on Saturday afternoon had been taken just toenjoy the first real tramp of the season, and to get together to talk ofplans for the coming Spring athletics. As boys can never resist thetemptation to throw snowballs when the moist white covering seems justsuited to such conditions, every little while one of them discovered somesort of target at which they could exercise their skill. 

Once it had been a venturesome bluejay that had wintered near the Mohunk;but the wary bird was awing before the first snowball struck near itsperch. Then a crow dared them, and fled amidst a shower of missiles anduproarious shouts, each fellow claiming that it must have been his shotthat had struck the limb just where the cawing bird had been sitting. 

They were possibly two miles from town, and in the midst of the Budgewoods, a section that always had a certain charm for the boys of bothRiverport and Mechanicsburg, as it lay half-way between the two towns, and not far from the river. 

Which brief but necessary digression again brings us to the occasion whenFred's chums were applauding his double hit, after he had sent twosuccessive snowballs so cleverly into the hole Bristles had selected as amark. 

"Same old accuracy, " chanted Colon. 

"I'm sorry for poor Paulding, and the other town above us, when Fredsteps into the box again this year. He's got 'em as straight as a rifleball. No trouble for him to put three over when he's in a hole. "

Sid Wells had hardly said this when something came to pass that wasentirely unexpected by the six Riverport boys. Through the air a cloudof solid icy balls came hurtling with what seemed like an angry hiss. Some struck around them, spattering against the tree-trunks with loudthuds; but several, being better aimed, came in contact with the personsof the astonished boys, producing more or less of a stinging sensation, as icy balls are apt to do. 

CHAPTER II

THE BATTLE BETWEEN OLD RIVALS

"Hey! What's all this mean?" shouted Bristles, as he dodged anothershower of smartly-thrown missiles that came from a point close at hand. 

There was hardly any use asking, because all of the lads had by thendiscovered the flitting forms of half a dozen boys about their own age, who must have piled up plenty of ammunition, to judge from the recklessway in which they were hurling snowballs in the direction of Fred and hischums. 

"The Mechanicsburg crowd, that's who it is!" snapped Colon, who, being somuch taller than the others, had a better chance to see over the tops ofthe bushes. 

"They're in for a snowball fight, fellows!" exclaimed Brad Morton, whowas the captain of the football team, as well as track manager in allathletic meets. 

"Give 'em Hail Columbia, fellows! Riverport High to the fore! Now, altogether, and send 'em in as hot as you can make 'em!"

That was Dave Hanshaw whooping it up. Dave had always been known as theheavy batter when he was feeling right, and many a time had he knockedout a home run, to the wild delight of the Riverport rooters. 

The scene immediately took on a lively air. Fred and his five chums werefeeling in just the right trim for a warm scrimmage with theirMechanicsburg rivals, who had always managed to give them a hard taskbefore confessing to defeat, and were said to be breathing all manner ofthreats with regard to evening up the score at the very next availableopportunity. 

It seemed as though there were about the same number of lads on the otherside, and they had one advantage in the fact that, knowing of thepresence of the Riverport fellows, they had secretly prepared an enormousnumber of fine round balls, so firmly pressed as to be almost as hard asstones. 

Preparation is all very good, but there is something that, as a rule, proves even better. This is organization and leadership, backed up bypluck; and here the Riverside boys were in a class by themselves. 

Somehow, when an emergency like this suddenly arose, they were accustomedto looking to Fred Fenton as leader. It may have been because Nature hadfashioned him in such a way that others readily believed in his abilityto win; past experiences had considerable to do with it, and they hadknown him to carry off the honors for the home school on many a hotlycontested field. 

For a short time the air was filled with flying snowballs, most of whichwere fruitlessly thrown, though the better marksmen managed to now andthen get in a telling hit, that gave them more or less satisfaction. 

Fred soon saw, however, that this sort of play would lead to nothing. One side or the other might become exhausted, and call a truce; but therewould be little satisfaction in such a tame victory. What he wanted wasan exhibition of strategy, by means of which the enemy would be fairlyrouted. 

"Brad, take Colon and Dave, and work off to the right, while the rest ofus turn their other flank!" he explained to the track captain, as theydodged a new flurry of deftly thrown missiles. 

"That's the ticket, and we're on to the game, Fred!" came the immediateresponse, showing how ready the others were to follow up any scheme whichFred proposed. 

"Lay in a stock of ammunition first of all, " cautioned Fred; "and when Ising out, make your start. We'll round up that lively bunch in a hurry, mark me. "

His confidence filled his mates with enthusiasm, as it always did. Abelief in one's self goes a great way toward winning the battle, nomatter how the odds may seem to stand against success. 

There was a hasty making of half a dozen balls apiece, all they couldconveniently carry, and when Fred had managed to supply himself with thatmany rounds, he gave Brad the order to advance. 

With new shouts that were intended to strike alarm to the hearts of theMechanicsburg boys, the two detachments now pushed along, makingsomething of a swinging movement, with the idea of turning the flanks ofthe enemy. 

Of course the other fellows understood just what was up, and could alsodivide their force, so as to meet the conditions; but when they foundthemselves between two fires, with hard snowballs striking them in theback, their valor began to give way to uneasiness, that was apt soon tomerge into a regular panic. 

That was what Fred called strategy. It was of a different kind from thatof the great Napoleon, who used to plan to divide his enemy's army, andthen strike quickly at first one-half, and then the other, before theycould unite again. 

In this case the main idea Fred had in mind was to be able to pour inshowers of missiles from two opposite quarters. In this way, while hisown men would be scattered, and could dodge any shot that seemed likelyto cause trouble, the enemy remained bunched, and presented a splendidtarget. 

The thing that was likely to tell most of all was the fact that eventhough a snowball happened to miss the boy at whom it had been aimed, there was always a good chance of its finding a mark in the back ofanother fellow, who, being struck so unexpectedly, must cringe, and feellike running away. 

Loud rang out the cries of the rival fighters, and all the while theattacking force kept working closer and closer to the group of almostexhausted fellows from up-river way. 

"Soak it to 'em!" pealed Bristles, who was surely in his element, as hedearly loved action of any sort; "three hits for every one we've taken, and then some. Put your muscle into every throw, fellows! Rap 'em hard. They started it, and we'll do the winding up, and make the peace terms. It's a surrender, or run away. Now, all together again!"

By this time the Mechanicsburg boys had had quite enough. Every one ofthem was nursing some wound. One had indeed even started off through thewoods, holding a hand to his eye, as though he had failed to dodge athrow quickly enough; several others were hugging the tree-trunksclosely, and showing that they had had about all the snowball fight theywanted. 

There was one heavy-set but athletic looking chap who appeared to be theringleader of the assailants. His name was Felix Wagner, and in timesgone by he had given the Riverport boys many a hard tussle to subdue him;though he had a reputation for square dealing second to none. 

Seeing that his side had given up the fight, since he was the only onestill hurling missiles, at the advancing enemy, Felix knew it was follyto try to keep it up any longer. 

"Hi! hold your horses, you Riverside tigers!" he called, laughingly, aswell as his almost exhausted condition allowed; "guess we've had aboutall we want of this sort of thing for once. My cheek stings like fun, and I think I'll have something of a black eye to-morrow. I only hope Igave as good as I took, that's all. "

"Do you own up beaten, then, Wagner?" demanded the pugnacious Bristles, "because we're still as fresh as daisies, and bound to put it over onyou, now that you've started the fight?"

"Oh sure! With such a crippled army, what else can a fellow do?" repliedthe leader of the other crowd. "We throw up the sponge, and wave thewhite rag. You're too much for us, that's what. I reckoned it'd be thatway when I saw Fred Fenton was along. He put you up to that game ofdividing your forces, and getting us under a cross-fire, I'll be bound. And that rattled us more'n anything else you did; for when you get acrack on the back of the head, it sort of knocks your calculations silly, and you can't pay attention to what you're doing. We surrender, allright. "

Besides Wagner there were some of the other baseball stars in thedefeated set---Dolan, who guarded the middle garden, Sherley whose domainwas away off in right, Boggs, the energetic shortstop, Hennessy thecatcher, who had taunted Fred and his chums So persistently whenever theycame to bat, in hopes of making them nervous, and Gould the agile secondbaseman. 

A number were rubbing their heads, or their faces, where red marks toldof a "strike, " and while one here and there grumbled, wanting to know ifthe Riverport boys put stones in their snowballs, the majority took theirpunishment in good part. 

"It was a lively scrimmage while it lasted, let me tell you, " Fredremarked, as he rubbed his icy hands together in order to inducecirculation. 

"As fierce as any I've been in this year, " admitted the big Hennessy, whose favorite feat of throwing out runners at second had gained him agreat name, and who must have been responsible for a number of hits whichthe Riverport boys had suffered during the "late unpleasantness. "

"Getting to be an old story to have you Riverport fellows crow over us, "grumbled Boggs, who had been the one to walk away while the battle wasstill on; he had his handkerchief crushed in his hand, having wet it withmelted snow, and in this fashion was trying to relieve the smarting, aswell as prevent his eye from becoming discolored---something the averageboy dislikes more than almost any other punishment that can be imagined. 

"Is there anything that we can beat you in?" demanded Sherley, frowning;"because I'd give something to know it. We've tried our level best, andfor two years now only picked up a few crumbs of comfort, while thefeast's been spread for Riverport. And yet Mechanicsburg has just asgood athletes as you can boast. We manage to win now and then, sometimesby sheer hard work, and again by a fluke. But they seem to be only theminor events; all the big plums go to your crowd. "

"That's Fred's diplomacy, Sherley, don't you understand?" said Bristles, with one of his wide grins. "He looks out for it that we get our bestlicks in the things that count. We've got a billiard and pool table atour house, and when we play pool don't we go after all the big ballsfirst? what's the use knocking the One in a pocket, except it's your onlyshot, and gives you a chance to get at larger game?"

Felix Wagner looked at the speaker, and gave a low whistle. 

"Shucks! I believe that's what's been the trouble all along, " he went onto say, presently, as though he had been awakened from a sound sleep;"and to think none of us got on to that racket before. Sure, we've beenchasing after the Number One ball just as hard as we have after theFifteen. All looked alike to us. Much obliged for giving me the tip, Bristles; we'll see if we can't do better next time. And if all the talkabout having a regular Marathon race this Spring turns out right, that'swhere Riverport is going to run up against her Waterloo!"

"Glad to hear you talk so smartly, Wagner, " said Fred, cheerfully, forsuch methods never had the slightest weight with him, or affected his ownconfidence. "If you go at things that way, there's a chance we'll have aglorious run, in case that Marathon race does come off. All of us arepulling the hardest we know how to get it fixed up; and we hope youfellows and Paulding will put in your oars. It will be a great event, ifwe can spring it this season. "

"Chances look pretty bright up our way, " said Wagner, as he and hisfriends prepared to start toward their home town; "and after the tipBristles was so good as to hand us, I wouldn't be surprised ifMechanicsburg managed to show you down-river fellows her dust, this timefor keeps. So-long, everybody!"

"Good talk, Wagner; may the best man win, we all say!" called outgenerous Bristles. 

CHAPTER III

UP THE MOHUNK ON AN ICE-BOAT

As Fred and Bristles, as well as Sid Wells, were all taking a postgraduate course, they got out much earlier than any of the otherscholars. This was how on Monday afternoon Bristles turned up at theFenton home close to the river, he having arranged with Fred to have alast spin on the ice-boat which the Carpenter boy had made himself, andused with more or less success during the past Winter. 

The weather had indeed hardened over Sunday, so that the slush was turnedinto ice again. The surface of the river was not as smooth as they couldhave wished, but then since it promised to be their very last chance tomake use of the _Meteor_ that year, the boys could not complain, or letthe opportunity pass by. 

"We'll have to be careful about some of the blowholes in the ice, "Bristles was saying, as they headed for the bank where he kept his craftin a shed he had built for the purpose, and which was close to Fred'shome. "Everybody says the ice seems to be thin around where the waterbubbles up. I'd hate to drop in and have to go home wringing wet, toscare ma half out of her wits. "

"Oh! no need of doing that, even if we should have the hard luck to getwet, " Fred told him. "I always carry a waterproof matchsafe, so we couldgo in the woods somewhere, start up a bully hot fire, and dry off. Allthe same, here's hoping we don't have to try that stunt out. It soundswell enough, but in this cold air a fellow'd shiver so he'd think histeeth were dropping out. We'll keep a bright watch for those sameblow-holes, believe me, Bristles. "

Fred was a careful hand at everything he undertook, from driving a horseor a car, to manipulating an ice-boat. So Bristles, who had the utmostconfidence in his superior merits, did not feel the slightest uneasinessas he led the way down the bank to the shed that sheltered his home-madebut very satisfactory ice craft. 

Of course he had a padlock on the door. This was not because thesprawling craft was so very valuable; but Bristles had expendedconsiderable time and money in fashioning the flier; and he did not meanto put it in the power of any malicious boy to injure or steal, if a merepadlock could prevent such a catastrophe. 

There were some pretty mean boys in Riverport, as indeed you can alwaysfind in any town. The leading spirit among this class of young rascalswas Buck Lemington, who had once been the bully of Riverport, until Fred, coming to town, succeeded in breaking up the combination that had so longheld sway. 

Ever since that time the Lemington boy had lost no opportunity to try toget back at Fred Fenton. He had played several tricks on the other, andhis chosen friends, who also came under the condemnation of Buck; but asa rule the vicious leader of the bad set had had these things recoil onhis own head. 

Still, knowing how gladly Clem Shooks, Oscar Jones, Conrad Jimmerson andBen Cushing, the cronies of Buck, would seize upon a chance to destroyhis pet ice-boat, Bristles had always kept it under lock and key when notin use. 

"Everything seems to be lovely, " said Bristles, opening the door of theshed. "Somehow I never count on finding my things as I left 'em, becauseoften I've seen one of that bunch hanging around the river here, as if hewere only waiting for half a chance to get even with me. Why, each timethe fire bells have rung at night time this Winter, I've climbed into myduds with the feeling that it was good-bye to my bully old _Meteor_. "

"Oh! I hardly think they'd dare do anything as bad as that, after thelesson they had before, " Fred went on to say, as he bent over to help theowner drag the rather clumsy craft out toward the nearby shore. 

"Well, when you're dealing with such a tough gang as that, " explainedBristles, "there's only one thing to do, and that's believe 'em equal toanything. I warrant you now that many a time it's only been the fearthey have for our hustling little fire eater of a police officer, ChiefSutton, that's kept Buck and his crowd from trying a heap more stuntsthan they did. Remember when they cut the wires, and left that bigmeeting in pitch darkness? Yes, and that other time they turned loose adozen mice at the bazaar, and set the ladies to shrieking and fainting?But thank goodness I've got through the Winter without losing my boat, and I'm calling myself Lucky Jim. "

They soon had the queer craft ready for service, with its mast rigged, and the few ropes in place. Bristles secured a couple of oldcomfortables to serve them in place of cushions, which more elaborateice-boats carried. These were tied on the boards in a way to suit theneeds of those who would soon be sprawled out under the swinging boom. 

"If the ice were only a whole lot smoother, I'd call this a jolly day fora spin, " the skipper of the craft went on to say, while continuing hispreparations. 

"Yes, " added Fred, standing there, and having completed his arrangementsto his complete satisfaction, "the sun shines with just a taste ofSpringtime about it; and the breeze is neither too hard nor too squally. It comes from the best quarter we could wish for, across from the west, so we'll be able to run up or down the river without trying to tack, andthat's always a hard job on a narrow stream, when you're booming along sofast. "

"Well, everything's ready, Fred, so hop aboard. "

"Is it up or down this time?" demanded the other. 

"Whichever you say, it doesn't matter a pin to me either way, " Bristlescontinued. 

"On the whole, I rather think we'd better head up-river this time, " saidFred. "We went down the last trip we made, yes, and the one before thattoo, because of a poor wind, and the river being wider below, so we couldtack better. I'd like to go past Mechanicsburg and as far up as we can, for the last time this year. "

"Call it settled then, Fred. Let's point her nose that way and get amove on us in a jiffy. "

Some small boys were skating near the shore, and had come around to watchthe starting of the iceboat, which was a familiar sight with them, thoughthey never seemed to grow weary of watching it go forth on its swiftcruise. Bristles had waited only long enough to make use of the padlockagain, so that no one might meddle with such things as he kept in theshed. Then he was ready to raise the sail, and spin up the river likethe wind. 

Just as Fred had said, they were apt to have an unusually hazardous tripon this particular afternoon, partly on account of the rough ice openingup chances for an upset, and then again because of the presence of somany weak places, where the recent thaw had started blow-holes. 

Of course the very swiftness of their passage would be one means ofsafety; for the ice-boat could skim across a small stretch where a skaterwould most surely break in. But Fred did not mean to take any morechances than necessity demanded; and Bristles, though commonly known asa reckless fellow, had promised to steer clear of any spot which hiscompanion told him was unsafe. 

Both of the boys were very fond of this sort of sport. It was a delightto them to feel themselves being carried along over the ice at a merryclip, with the steel runners singing a sweet tune, and the wind hummingthrough the dangling ropes. 

The shore fairly flew past them, once the iceboat got fairly started; andit seemed almost no time before they glimpsed the smoke from thefactories of Mechanicsburg, which was just three miles above their hometown, and on the same bank of the frozen Modunk. 

"Keep a bright outlook while we're passing!" called out Fred; "they mayhave been cutting ice up here, as they were early in the Winter, thoughthe openings froze over again. "

"Looks a bit suspicious over to the right, and I'll hug this shore. Giveme a call if you see any hole ahead, so I can sheer off, Fred. "

"That's what I will, Bristles, you can depend on it!"

Already they had come abreast the lower houses. The breeze had evenfreshened a little, or else the bank was somewhat lower, so they caughtits full force. At any rate, they fairly rushed past the busymanufacturing town, where there were a number of big mills and factories, giving employment to hundreds of hands. 

"Somebody's waving his hat to us on the bank up there, and shouting inthe bargain, " called Bristles, who was too busily engaged in lookingstraight ahead to turn his eyes aslant. 

"Yes, and I think it's Felix Wagner, " admitted Fred. "Looked like hisfigure, but I can't squirm around so as to see again. Doesn't mattermuch anyway. Hi! there, turn out a little more, Bristles; you're headingfor a hole! Not too far, because there's another just as bad stretchingout from the other side. Careful now, boy; a little too much either way, and we're in for a ducking!"

"Just room enough to get through, I reckon, Fred. Whee! that's going tobe a tight hole for us. I hope we can make the riffle, all right!"

"Steady, a little bit more to the left; now a quick swing the other way, and we're over safely enough. Say, that was as pretty handling of anice-boat as I ever saw done. You deserve a heap of credit for that job, Bristles, and that's straight!"

"Thanks, awfully, Fred, " said the other, in rather an unsteady voice;"but all the same, I'm glad we're well across the narrow pass. My heartseemed to climb right up into my throat. I tell you I never would havemade it only for you tipping me off the way you did. "

"Yes you would, Bristles, even if you'd been alone, because you must haveseen how the lay of the ice ran for yourself. But I hope we don't strikeanother place like that above. I don't think we shall, though they cutice and let it float down till it gets opposite the town; but that's doneonly on one side, as a rule. "

They had quickly left the smoky town far behind them, and on both sidesof the river could now be seen snow-covered farms, patches of woods, sloping hillsides, and now and then little hamlets. Once they passedwhat seemed to be a lumber camp, at which some sturdy men were at work, getting logs ready to float down the river with the usual Spring freshet. 

Occasionally it was not so easy to make progress. This was when thecrooked river took a sudden turn, and they had the breeze from adifferent quarter. But since Bristles knew how to manage his strangecraft very well, they overcame all such difficulties, and continued tomake rapid headway for some little time. 

"The holes seem to be getting worse up around here, " remarked Bristles, after he had had to execute several speedy movements in order to avoidrunning into dangerous spots. 

"Yes, and as it's getting rougher in the bargain, as well as narrowbetween the banks, perhaps we'd better call a halt, and start back, "suggested Fred. 

"Let's make that turn up yonder, " urged the skipper. "I remember there'ssomething of a wider span there, and I'd like to try swinging aroundwithout stopping, if I can. Last time I made a stab at doing the same, Ipiled up ashore in a wreck; but the wind's in my favor to-day. Youcan't down a Carpenter, that's all there is to it. "

"Just as you say, Bristles; I'm game to stick it out with you. Swingover a little farther, so as to get all the space you can for turning. Listen, wasn't that somebody screaming; or could it have been alocomotive whistling for a crossroad?"

"I heard it too, Fred, " said Bristles, hastily, "and give you my word forit I think it came from around the bend there. We'll turn in before youcan count twenty. There it is again, Fred, and worse than before. Somebody's in, the chances are, and I only hope we get on hand in time tobe of help. "

As the flying ice-boat turned the bend and they could begin to see thewider stretch of the Mohunk, both boys eagerly waited to discover whatthe cause of all that screaming could be. 

CHAPTER IV

THE RESCUE, AND A MYSTERY

"Look there, Fred!" cried Bristles, "over nearer the shore, to the left!"

"I see them!" replied the other, almost instantly. 

"It's a girl, and she acts as if she might be trying to get at somebodyin the water, " the skipper of the ice-boat shouted, as he headed theflying craft straight toward the spot. 

"Be ready to bring up in the wind, so we can tumble off, Bristles!"advised Fred, taking in the whole situation at a glance, in hiscomprehensive way. 

Bristles was already so excited that he came near upsetting the ice-boatby being too speedy about making the turn. Both boys scrambled to theirfeet as soon as they possibly could, and hurried toward the place where agirl of about ten years of age was wringing her poor little hands, andtrying to reach a boy who was clinging to the crumbling edge of the ice. He was up to his neck in the cold water of the river. 

"Hold fast, and we'll get you out of that!" cried Fred, as they drewnear. His quick eye had already taken note of the fact that a rail fencecame down close to the water's edge just beyond, and it was straighttoward this that he was now hurrying. Bristles knew what he was goingfor, and he kept near the heels of his chum. 

The frightened girl thought they were deserting her, and redoubled hercries. 

"Help! Oh! help us! Please don't go away! My poor brother will bedrowned! He can't hold on much longer! Oh! come back and help get himout!"

By that time Fred had reached the end of the fence, which ran into thewater so as to keep the cows from straying out of their pasture. Hestruggled with one of the rails, and managed to break it loose. 

"Get another, and chase after me, Bristles!" he shouted, as he once moreturned and hastened toward the hole in the rotten ice, where the boy, whocould not be more than twelve years of age, was trying as best he couldto keep from being drawn under by the sucking force of the strongcurrent. 

Once close up, Fred dropped on his knees, shoving the rail ahead of him. In this fashion he was able to push it directly to the imperiled boy. Bristles had been so rapid in his actions that he was hardly ten secondsbehind the leader. He immediately copied Fred's example, so that therewere now two rails reaching out in the direction of the hole, theirfurther ends actually overtopping the gap in the ice. 

"Stay here, Bristles, and do whatever I tell you!" Fred told his chum, when, having arranged the rails as he wished, he started out along them. 

His weight being now distributed over a wide surface there was no dangerof the rotten ice giving way under him. That is the essential pointabout nearly all rescues on the ice, and what every boy should bear inmind the moment his services are needed in order to save an imperiledcompanion. 

Fred was now enabled to approach the very edge of the hole, so that hecould hold out his hand to the boy in the water, who had been constantlytelling the girl to keep back lest she too fall in. Between them it waspossible to accomplish the rescue, for while Fred pulled, the boy alsoexerted himself to the utmost, and presently crawled over the edge. 

"Keep your weight as much as you can on the rails, because with yourclothes soaked, you weigh twice as much as I do, " Fred kept telling him;and yard by yard he drew the other along until finally they could get totheir feet, and make for the shore. 

The girl was crying hysterically now, although she had shown considerablebravery before. 

"Oh! Brother Sammy, what if you had let go, and the current had drawnyou under the ice! I think I'd have wanted to jump in, too, because I'dhave nothing left to live for then!" she kept repeating, as she pattedhis cold hand tenderly, and tried to warm it. 

Fred knew that unless something was done immediately, the boy would bevery apt to be taken down sick, after all that nervous exhaustion, andthe cold bath he had suffered. The air was chilly, and must strike himkeenly. 

"Here, you can't go home in that way, no matter how near by you live, " hewent on to say, in his cheery way. 

"Home!" repeated the girl, and her eyes exchanged a strange look with herbrother. "But what can we do, for there isn't any farmhouse around here?We were coming across the river, and Sammy went too near a hole. Thenthe ice broke, and all I could do was to scream. He wouldn't let me comenear him, but kept trying to climb out himself. Every time he got up onthe ice it broke again, and he went in. Oh! it was just terrible, terrible! But he'll freeze now, mister, if we don't find a house soon. "

"No he won't, not if we know it, " said Fred. "Here, slap your arms aboutyou this way as hard as you can, and jump up and down as if you werecrazy. Never mind how it looks, if only you get the blood to circulatinggood. Bristles, it's up to you and me to start a fire booming in ahurry. "

"Here's as good a place as any, Fred, for there's plenty of loose woodaround. "

Fred was already busily engaged in hunting all manner of small bits ofdry fuel under the sheltered sides of the logs, and in hollow stumps. Assoon as he had gathered a few handfuls of this tinder, he drew out amatch, and started it burning. 

Fred was a clever hand at making a fire, and this one did not fail him. Bristles had in the meantime brought an armful of wood, and, selectingthe smaller pieces, the two soon had a fine, large blaze going, thatbegan to send out a considerable amount of welcome heat. 

"Back up here, and see how this feels, Sammy, " Fred told the shiveringlad. When the other had done so, he added, "Now, just as soon as youfeel warm on one side, change to the other. You know what they say, 'onegood turn deserves another, ' and here's where it applies. Keep up yourexercising, because all that is going to help prevent you from takingcold. If I only had some hot tea or coffee, I'd give you some, but we'llhave to do without it, I'm afraid. "

He kept talking to the boy and girl as he worked at the fire, andBristles continued to carry fresh supplies of wood, laboring like a goodfellow. In this way Fred managed to learn that the name of the boy theyhad rescued was Sam Ludson and that he lived with Corny Ludson; thoughwhen he asked how far away it was they lived the answer was an evasiveone. 

"A good distance away, " was about all the boy would say, and Fred couldnot help noticing that he again exchanged uneasy looks with his sister. 

There was certainly something very queer about these two, though Fredcould not understand why they should feel backward about telling wherethey lived, and especially to a couple of boys who had just done them agreat favor. 

Still, Fred was not unduly curious about it. If the brother and sisterdid not want to take him into their confidence, he was not the one topersist. So far as he could remember, Ludson was a name he had neverheard before, so it did not seem as though they could ever have livedaround Riverport. Bristles later on also declared that it was strange tohim, and he had been born there, while Fred was comparatively a newcomer, having arrived only a couple of years previous to this time. 

His particular business, as Fred saw it, was not to poke into otherpeople's private affairs, but to get the clothes of Sam dry as soon aspossible. Then he would feel that he and Bristles had finished theirduty. 

So he continued to keep the fire burning, and have Sam turned aroundevery little while. At first the child steamed at a tremendous rate, butas by degrees the moisture was absorbed by the heat, he began to feelmuch more comfortable. 

"I guess I'll go now, mister, " Sammy remarked, finally, as though anxiousto get away from these kind friends before they took to asking him anyawkward questions. 

"Just hold up a little while longer, and then you'll be all right, Sam, "he was told by Fred, and like a great many other fellows, the boy fellinto a habit of observing the wishes of this leader among the scholars atRiverport High. 

"Whatever you say, mister, goes, " he observed, with humility. "You'vesure done me a great service, and I ain't going to forget it, either. Idon't reckon it'll happen that I c'n pay you back, but if the chance everdoes hit me, I'm agoin' to do it, sure thing. "

"Are you feeling as good as ever again, Sammy?" asked his sister, who wasrather a pretty girl, Bristles thought, as he looked her over, from thewretched little hat she wore on her bonny brown hair, the odd cheap pinat her throat, the faded dress, to the coarse shoes that gaped badly atthe toes. 

"I certainly am, " he responded, caressing the hand she had laid on thesleeve of his ragged jacket. Somehow it struck Fred right then and therethat mutual suffering must have drawn these two frail looking beingscloser together than the average brother and sister. 

"Well, then you can make off home if you feel fit, " Fred told them, "andlet me tell you my friend here and myself both feel mighty glad wehappened to be as close by as we were. It taught you a lesson, I expect, Sam, and you'll fight shy of blow-holes in the rotten ice after this, won't you?"

"You bet I will, mister; and say, I guess I'm gladder'n you c'n be aboutthat same thing; because the river is awful swift around here, and I keptgetting colder and weaker all the while. Couldn't have held out muchlonger. I want to thank both of you for what you did. I ain't goin' toever forget it either, see if I do, though, shucks! I don't 'spect I'llever have a chance to pay you back. "

He shook hands with both Fred and Bristles, as did also the little girl, now looking both grave and pleased. Then they walked away, making forthe nearby road that led from Mechanicsburg to some other town many milesaway, and leaving the vicinity of the Mohunk. 

Fred and Bristles prepared to seek once more the ice-boat, and resumetheir interrupted cruise, this time heading for home. Both of them werethrilled with a deep satisfaction on account of having been given such asplendid chance to effect a rescue, for nothing pleases the average boymore than to realize that he has been enabled to play the part of a hero. 

They were not the ones to boast of such a thing as that. Indeed, neitherof them considered that they had been in the slightest danger at anytime. Had one of them found it necessary to jump into the cold waters ofthe Mohunk in order to save the drowning boy, that might have been adifferent matter. 

"This fire does feel pretty fine, " Bristles remarked, as they got readyto depart, "and I kind of hate to leave it, because, as you know, Fred, Ialways worship a camp fire. No need to put this one out, is there?because it couldn't set these woods afire if it tried its best, whileeverything's covered with snow. 

"Ready to make the start? What'd you think of Sam and his sister, SadieLudson, eh? Mysterious sort of pair, weren't they? Didn't want to tellus anything about themselves, at all. I'm trying to knock my head andsay where I've heard that name before, but so far it gets me. Well, wenever may see them again, so what's it matter? I'm glad, though, youpulled Sam out of the river. He owes his life to you, Fred. "

"To us, you mean, Bristles, for you had just as much to do with it as anyone, " insisted Fred; and afterwards, whenever he told the story, healways maintained that Bristles had stood by him, and done his share ofthe rescue work. 

They managed to make the return trip safely, and Bristles took it uponhimself later on to try to find out if anybody knew the Ludsons, but hemet with little success, and with Fred was compelled to put the thingdown as a mystery that could not be solved. 

CHAPTER V

LOOKING OVER THE COURSE

"One thing sure, Fred, we couldn't have a better day for taking a spinover the ground, and finding out what we'll be up against on the greatday. "

"Yes, we're in luck that far, Bristles. The only thing I'm sorry aboutis that Sid couldn't come along. What was it he told you, when you ranacross him early this Saturday morning in Bramley's sporting goodsstore?"

"Why, you see, " continued Bristles, as he trotted easily alongside hisfriend, for they were in their running togs, and out upon the countryroad at the time, "when I went to look over my outfit, I found my shoeswere partly worn, and that I needed a new pair. I'd been looking at somecross-country running shoes Bramley got in last week, and liked theirstyle. They have a low broad heel, and spikes only in the sole. Feel aseasy as anything I've ever worn, and don't seem to rub my heels like theold ones always did. "

"You're getting there, Bristles; keep going right along, " laughed Fred, because the other had a reputation for being what boys call "longwinded. " It sometimes took him double the time to tell a story that anyother fellow would have consumed. 

"Oh! I was only going to say Sid was in there doing something, and heasked me to tell you to excuse him on our trial spin to-day, as hisfather had laid out a little trip for him. Sid looked mightydisappointed, I could see. He'd like to be along, for even if this runof ours is only to spy out the land, it may count big. "

"Well, we may have another chance to go over the route, after we knowjust what the committee has mapped out, " said Fred. 

"This is only guess work on our part, of course, " continued the other, "but then everybody seems to think that it's bound to be the coursechosen in the end. "

"Yes, " Fred added, reflectively, "because it offers a great variety ofcountry---level roads, then trails through the woods, crossing creeks, and after that a stretch over country roads made up of soft dirt. "

"Of course they'll have stations all along the route, as usual?" venturedBristles. 

"No question about it, " Fred told him. "That's done so every runner mayregister in his own handwriting, and mark down the time he stopped ateach station. In such a way the committee will have a complete record ofwhat every contestant did, and there can be no suspicion of cheating. "

"Whew! you don't think any fellow would be so small and mean as to try athing like that, do you, Fred?"

"I'd hate to think so, " returned the other, "but this is done in orderthat no one may even be suspected by outsiders. It's what you might callan insurance against any rank work. "

"How could a runner cheat, tell me?" asked Bristles. 

"Well, " replied Fred, "there's likely to be one or more places where hecould cut across lots and never show up at some advanced station at all. In that way he'd be saved a mile or two of the gruelling run, and thatmight be enough to give him a big lead on the home stretch. "

"Then I only hope they have every kind of safeguard against cheating, that can be used, " declared Bristles, indignantly, "because for one I'ddie before I'd try to win a thing by trickery. "

"I reckon everyone knows that, Bristles, " Fred told him, "because therenever was a boy with a straighter record than you. You've got faults, aswho hasn't, but being sly and tricky, like Buck Lemington, isn't one ofthem. "

"I hear the scheme has created no end of excitement over atMechanicsburg, " Bristles hastened to say, turning a little red thoughwith pleasure, at those words of confidence which Fred gave him. 

"And at Paulding I'm told the whole town is on edge, with boys in runningtogs spinning along every country lane, in pairs or singly, " Fredobserved. 

"Well, " the boy with the mop of bristly hair went on to say, "once againwill good old Riverport have to hustle for all that's going, to hold herown at the head of the procession. "

"We mustn't expect too much, " said Fred, modestly. "Up to now we've beenpretty lucky to pull down the plums, but there may come a change any day, and we've got to show that we can stand defeat just as well as victory. "

"They've got some good long distance runners over there in the milltown, " Bristles remarked, seriously. 

"Equal to anything we can show, I should say, and it's going to take ahead, as well as flying feet, to beat them at the game, Bristles. "

"Of course, " added Fred's companion, "none of us have ever gone as muchas twenty-five miles in a single run, so we don't know what we can do, but, for that matter, I don't believe a Mechanicsburg or Paulding fellowhas, either. "

"But we mean to cover the course in a trial run before the great daycomes, you know, " Fred told him. "I'm laying great store on one fellowwe've got. "

"Of course you mean long-legged Colon, Fred?"

"Yes, " replied Fred, "our fastest sprinter, a fellow who can hump himselflike a grayhound or a kangaroo in action, and cover more ground at thefinish than anybody I ever saw. "

"But the most Colon's ever gone is ten miles, " remarked Bristles, "and wedon't know what his staying qualities are. He may give out beforefifteen miles have been covered. If anybody asked me, I'd say we hadmore chance with a husky fellow like you, for instance, who never hasbeen known to get tired, and can use his head as well as his heels. "

"Then there's Sid and Brad, " remarked Fred, hastily, "who have made uptheir minds to be in the line when the signal is given; both of them areknown to be stayers. Of course I'll do my level best, but I hope none ofyou pin your faith to a single runner. A little team work, or strategy, sometimes helps out in cases of this kind. "

"How can that be, when everyone has to run for himself, until hopelesslydistanced, if I read the rules straight?" asked Bristles. 

"Only in this way, " replied Fred. "If there are three entered from aschool, one of them might take the lead, and set the pace for a while. When he had covered, say a third of the distance, he would fall back, anda second forge to the front, leaving the last fellow to cover the homestretch. It's been done in other races, though I believe some peoplefrown on it. Still, there's no ban on the practice. "

"Why, no, this is a race between rival schools, " said Bristles, "andevery fellow is supposed to be willing to sacrifice individual chancesfor the good of the lot, just as team-work pays in baseball or anythingelse. "

"Well, let's cut out the talk for a while, and put on more steam, "advised Fred. "Here's a good chance for a spurt, down the grade, andthen along two miles of level road. "

"Go you, Fred!"

The two runners went flying along like the wind until they had reachedthe foot of a steep hill, which it would be folly to attempt to climb atmore than a walk. Once beyond this, a fine stretch of country openedbefore them, with farms and woodland on every side. 

Fred had a pretty fair map of the region, which he had made from pickingup information on every side. One of his motives in making this tour onSaturday morning, was to verify its truth. Once the route of theMarathon race had been issued, all those who expected to compete wouldhave the privilege of going over the ground as often as they pleased. Ifany fellow were smart enough to discover how he could cut off a hundredyards or two, and yet report at every station, he was at liberty to doso. 

A knowledge of the course often counts heavily in a Marathon race, as itdoes in many other things. That is why most baseball clubs play betteron their home grounds, where they know the lay of the land, the presenceof treacherous little hillocks, the usual slant of the wind, the value ofsending their balls toward a certain fence where home-runs count heavily, and all that sort of thing. 

Five miles farther on, and the boys had come to a place where Fred, onconsulting his map, observed:

"The road runs away around, and by cutting across the woods here as muchas two miles can be saved. I understand that the contestants will havethat privilege offered to them if they choose to take it. 

"Why, of course everybody will grab the chance, " remarked Bristles. 

"I'm not so sure about that, " he was told by his companion, "and for thisreason: while the shortcut saves considerable distance, it's bound to beharder going, and some runners might even get lost in the undergrowth, sothey'd be cut out of the race. "

"Gee! I never thought of that, Fred; but you're right. "

"Then if they have a hard time breaking through, " continued Fred, "andfinding the other road above the registering station, they may be winded, so that the other fellow who's gone all the way around would be in muchbetter shape for a gruelling finish. "

"It all depends, then, on knowing your ground?" pursued Bristles. 

"And that's what we want to make sure of as we go through the woods hereright now, " continued Fred. "Both of us must take our bearings fromcertain trees as we push along. If we strike a trail that leads to theright quarter, we'll manage to blaze it in some fashion that otherfellows would never notice, though we can put our own crowd wise to thesigns. 

"Here's where the head work comes in, eh, Fred?"

"Only a small sample of it, " laughed the other, "and there'll be plentymore to follow before we win this Marathon. If any of the oppositioncrosses the tape ahead of Riverport, it'll be because they're betterrunners and managers than we are, that's all there is to it. But comeon, let's break away from the road. "

Upon that the two boys entered the woods, carefully marking the spot intheir memories by noticing a certain bunch of white-barked birches thatdrooped over in a peculiar way, different from anything they had thus farseen. 

Fred had his little compass with him. He had laid out his courseexactly, so as to strike the other road at a certain spot, which it wasbelieved would be just above the toll-gate, where he knew one of theregistering stations was bound to be placed. 

Of course they could not expect to go in a straight line, or as the crowsfly. All sorts of obstacles interfered with such a scheme. Now it was adeep gully that barred their progress; a little further on they came to astretch of swampy ground, where a runner would find himself bogged andplaced in a desperate condition, if he attempted to push through. Butwise Fred had early discovered what seemed to be a fairly well worn trailthat seemed to lead in the direction they were intending to go. At timesit was exceedingly difficult to see the track, but both these boys hadkeen eyes, and used good judgment, so they managed to come upon itfrequently. 

All the time they continued to make note of certain landmarks that wouldaid them later on, when again passing through this strip of woodland andjungle. Possibly there would be a mile of it, against three by the road. Plainly then, if a runner could get through in fairly decent shape hewould have saved more or less time in so doing. 

The two Riverport lads had perhaps gone half way, and were feeling wellsatisfied with the progress made, when Fred stopped and held up his hand. 

"Listen, Bristles!" he exclaimed, "what's all that racket do you think?"

"Sounds like dogs barking and snarling, to me, Fred. "

"But away out here in the woods you wouldn't expect to hear a pack ofdogs, unless they were running wild, " urged Fred, still listening. 

"Whew! that reminds me of what I heard an old farmer tell in the marketone day last week, " exclaimed Bristles. "He said he had lost three sheepthis Spring from dogs, and that a pack of sheep killers was loose uparound his section!"

CHAPTER VI

THE WILD DOG PACK

"How's that, Bristles, a pack of wild dogs running around, and killingsheep?" Fred demanded, appearing to take uncommon interest in what hiscompanion had just said. 

"Yes, and Fred, I honestly believe that farmer lives somewhere up in thisregion, because I heard him tell about having a runaway near theBelleville tollgate, and you know that's where we expect to fetch out onthe road ahead. "

"Then that settle it, Bristles. And there's no doubt we're hearing theyelping of that same pack right now. I reckon they're on some track orother. "

"Whew! I hope it isn't _our_ track then!" exclaimed the other lad, as hebegan hurriedly to look about him for a stout club, and eye theneighboring trees, as if an unpleasant alternative had forced itself uponhis notice. 

"The sounds seem to come from back yonder, where we passed along, "remarked Fred; and as though in his mind an ounce of prevention might bebetter than a pound of cure, he too hastened to pick tip a heavy billetof wood, that was as large as an ordinary baseball club. 

"But what makes dogs act that way, and go wild?" asked Bristles. "Inever knew of any doing such a queer stunt. "

"It's this way, " explained the other, quickly, as though he had recentlybeen reading the matter up, and was full of information. "Dogs are kinto wolves and foxes, you know. Fact is, many a wolf I've seen lookedjust like a dog. "

"Yes, that's a fact, Fred!" admitted Bristles, nodding his head, andstill noting the fact that the chorus of barks, yelps and snarls seemedto be gradually approaching all the time. 

"Well, every once in a while some dog seems to hear the call of the wild. He takes a dislike to confinement, hates human beings, and the firstchance he gets puts out for the woods, where he lives just as a wolfwould do, by the chase. Sometimes farmers' watchdogs that are thought tobe honest get this sheep-killing habit, and play tricks, covering theirtracks so they go a long time without being found out, and then only byaccident. "

"Yes, I've heard all about that, too, Fred, but because one dog goeswild, why should a whole lot of others follow after him, I want to know?"

"Well, " continued the other, "as far as I understand it, here's thereason. Every dog has that same nature about him. I've seen it provenmany times. We had an old dog named Mose, who was never known to chaseanybody. He used to lie there asleep on our front porch by the hour. Then next door there was a little cur that somehow took to chasing afterwheels and wagons. You've heard how dogs yap-yap whenever they do that, haven't you, Bristles?"

"Lots of times, " assented the other, nodding, and still earnestlylistening. 

"It's about like some of that racket we hear now, " Fred went on toexplain. "They say it excites a dog like everything. When that littlecur next door would start down the street with a yap-yap-yap, I've seenour poor old Mose jump up, as if he'd had a signal no living dog couldresist, and go rushing out of the yard, to join in with the cur and someothers that gathered like a flash. That's what it means. "

"And these other dogs have got the fever in their veins by this time too, eh, Fred?"

"Yes, and they are satisfied to chase around after the leader, perhapstaking an humble part in his kills. But Bristles, I'm afraid we're goingto see for ourselves what the pack looks like. "

"You mean they're coming this way fast now?" observed Bristles, tightening his grip on the club he had selected from many that lay undera tree shattered by a bolt of lightning the previous Summer. 

"There's no doubt about it!" declared Fred, steadily. 

"Course we could shin up a tree if we wanted to, Fred, but that'd goagainst my grain. I feel like standing my ground, and trying to get awhack at that sheep-killing leader of the pack. Gee! wouldn't thefarmers give us a vote of thanks if we did manage to put him out of therunning?"

"We may have the chance sooner than we expected, " Fred went on to say, grimly, for the tempest of sounds seemed to be very close now, and theycould actually hear the rush of the advancing pack. 

"How many are there, do you think?" asked Bristles, and if his voicetrembled a little, Fred believed it was from excitement rather than fear, because he had seen this local comrade tested many times, and knew thathe never flinched. 

"At least four, " Fred replied, "because I can make out that manydifferent yelpings, and there may be six, with some small runts comingalong in the rear. "

"I only wish I had more duds on, and a pair of leather leggings in thebargain, " muttered Bristles, glancing rather ruefully down at his bareshins, which of course were wholly unprotected. 

"Here they come!" announced Fred, suddenly. 

There was a rush of pattering feet, together with a fierce series ofyelps, and then through the thicket came pouring a string of hustlinganimals, heading directly toward the two boys. 

"Whew! he _is_ a dandy, sure enough!" exclaimed Bristles, referring ofcourse to the large animal in the lead. 

This was a dun-colored beast about the size of a wolf and not unlike onein many of his attributes. He presented a really terrifying front now, with his open jaws that disclosed shining fangs and a red tongue, and hisblazing eyes, together with the bristles that stood up on his neck verymuch like those of a wild hog. 

"Give 'em a shout!" exclaimed Fred, who remembered at that moment thatmost dogs have learned to respect the sound of a human voice, and thismight serve to bring about a halt in the onrush of the savage pack. 

Accordingly both of the young men started swinging their clubs wildlyabout their heads and yelling at the top of their voices. Thisthreatening demonstration did have some effect on the milder elements ofthe pack, those dogs that had been lured into wrong-doing, and were notviciously inclined. Three immediately fell back, and one of these eventurned tail and started to run away at breakneck speed as though thesight of those cudgels inspired him with respect, on account of arecollection of some previous beating. 

There were three, however, that still kept on, the leader of the pack, and a couple of others. If ever Fred Fenton in all his life wishedheartily for a gun of some kind it must have been just then, when, withonly a single companion to stand alongside, he found himself about to beattacked by a trio of furious dogs gone wild, and running through thewoods. 

It would not have been so bad had there been only two, for then each ofthem could manage an adversary; but that odd beast bothered him. 

"Tackle the leader, and leave the others to me; I'll help you as soon asI send them flying!" was what Fred exclaimed, as the three dogs bore downupon them. 

"All right; I'm on, Fred!"

There was no time for another word, because the animals were upon them. They came with a rush, as though furious at seeing the bare-legged boysin their hunting preserves. That leader must have taken a decided hatredof all human kind, and when backed by his followers, seemed ready for anydeed of daring. 

Fred and Bristles had their hands full from the very start. It was theirobject to do all the damage they could without allowing any of the dogs achance to sink their teeth into their legs, or leap upon their backs, asthey appeared desirous of doing. 

Luckily both boys were sturdy and agile. More than this, they realizedthe desperate nature of their position, for no help could reach themthere. If they hoped to come out of the fight with credit, they mustdepend wholly upon their own valor and ability. 

Bristles whacked the dun-colored beast soundly, as he made a ferociousleap up toward his throat, and had the satisfaction of seeing him whirlheadlong. It was only a temporary backset, however, for as soon as theanimal recovered his feet he made another mad rush, so that the boy waskept busy prodding him, using his club right and left as an Irishmanmight his shillalah, and in every way possible trying to beat the bruteoff. 

All the while Bristles kept up a shouting that was intended to nerve hisown arm, and possibly help to strike terror into the hearts of thefour-footed assailants. 

"You will, eh? Take that for a starter, and plenty more where that camefrom! Try to catch me off my guard, will you? Whoop! that was a beautyof a crack! Hope I made you see stars that time, you snarling beast, you! Get back there! Shinny on your own side, can't you?" and he gave asudden kick at one of the smaller dogs, that, taking advantage of therow, had tried to creep in and nip him on the leg. 

While all this was going on, Fred had his hands full with the other twodogs. If they lacked some of the ferocity and daring of the leader ofthe pack, it was made up in the fact of their being a pair to watch, andkeep from closing in with him. 

Fast his club flew, and hearty were the whacks he gave right and left. One after the other he had sent his assailants headlong, thanks to luckyshots. When they returned to the scrap, they began to give evidence thatthis sort of thing had begun to pall upon their liking, and thisencouraged the boy to work harder than ever. 

Just then, imagine the delight of the two hard pressed boys when theyheard a cheery shout close by, and saw a lithe figure, also in runningtrunks, come leaping toward the spot. 

No need for them to ask themselves who this could be, for well did theyknow the most remarkable method of getting over the ground peculiar toColon, and which some people likened to the singular hopping of akangaroo. 

He already had a club in his hand, and he immediately started in to wieldit with telling effect on one of Fred's assailants. The consequence wasthat this particular dog turned tail, and ran off at top speed. Itsmate, as though realizing the folly of keeping up an unequal combat, hastened to do the same. 

This left the savage leader of the pack alone to face three antagonists. Fred could not help but feel something akin to admiration for the defiantbeast as he attacked first one and then another of them. Evidently theidea of running, and saving his hide, had not as yet appealed to theenraged dog. 

"Keep knocking him, everybody!" shrieked Bristles, now more than everdetermined on finishing the terror of the neighboring farmers. "We'vejust got to nail him, boys. Don't let him shoot past you! Pound him onthe head! Knock him galleywest! That was a socker, Fred; you've got himdown, I tell you! Now, everyone pile in and we'll end his sheep-killingcareer for him!"

There was a concerted rush from three sides. The half dazed beast couldnot recover in time to leap upon anyone of his foes, though he snappedhis jaws together so that his terrible teeth met with a clicking sound. 

For a short time the clubs rained blows on his head, until Fred finallycalled out:

"That's enough, fellows; he's thrown up the sponge!"

"Hurrah for us; we've cleaned the ugly pack out, boys!" cried Bristles, thought so short of breath after his exertions that he could hardly standerect. 

Yes, the sheep-killing dog had been slain, and while Fred was of coursevery well pleased over the outcome of the fight, at the same time helooked down with considerable respect upon the dun-colored beast thatcould exhibit such desperate courage, and put up such a game defenseagainst three foes. 

Bristles insisted upon shaking hands with each one of his mates, and thenhe and Fred turned upon the long-legged Colon with a look of wonder ontheir faces, as though they could not understand how it was he had shownup at such a lucky moment. 

CHAPTER VII

THE SHORT-CUT WAY

"Now, where did you drop down from, Colon?" asked Bristles. 

"Me?" exclaimed the tall chum, with a broad smile on his face. "Why, straight from town, if you want to know. You see, I found out, afterall, I could get off, and hurried to where you said you'd start, butFred's ma told me you had half an hour the lead of me. Still, as Ihappened to know the layout of the trip, I made up my mind I'd followalong, and hump myself a little to overtake you fellows. 

"But how'd you know where we left the road, and started across thewoodland, tell me, Colon?" asked Bristles; whereupon the other noddedhis head, and looked wise. 

"Oh! well!" he explained, "you see, Fred told me about where he expectedto break away and so of course I kept looking; and I saw that you'dturned out just about under that bunch of birch trees. Why, you left aplain track in the dust on the road. After that I used my eyes and myhead, and kept pushing right along. I'm reckoned something of a scout inthe woods, you must know. "

"You certainly have done a big thing in that line this time, Colon, "asserted Fred, vigorously; "I never would have believed him, if someonetold me you'd done it. And let me remark that you certainly came in onus at the right time. "

"I should say he did, " assented Bristles, joyfully. "I was getting tiredof swinging my club, and whacking that terrible critter. Talk to meabout being able to stand punishment, ---I never before saw a dog thatcould come up fresh every time you keeled him over. Most curs would runaway, howling like mad, but he just set his teeth, and took a fresh grip. Whew! I'm sure glad it's all over. "

"Either of you get nipped anywhere?" asked Colon, anxiously. 

"I hope not, " Fred replied, "it's a dangerous thing to have a dog biteyou, because you never know what's going to happen. Often the scratchfrom the claws of a tiger or a lion is followed by blood poisoning, because they tear their prey, you know. I was sent over once, and seemto have a few scratches on my shins, but they came from the stones andthorns. How about you, Bristles?"

"I kicked one of those smaller runts that tried to bite me, but I don'tthink he got his teeth in my leg. Those blood marks are scratches, whereI ran into the thorn bush while I was jumping around so lively. Oh! it'sall right, and no damage done, boys. Everything's lovely, and the goosehangs high!"

"But what does all this rumpus mean?" Colon wanted to know. "Whose dogswere they, and what had you done to make the push mad?"

Bristles undertook to tell him, passing on some of the information whichhe had received from Fred. 

"Now I'm posted. I seem to get a grip on the business, " Colon confessed, "and I want to tell you I'm mighty glad I made up my mind to followafter, and see if I couldn't come up before you got back home again. "

"And believe me we're happy to know you did, Colon, " Bristles assuredhim, "because there's no telling what sort of a hard time we'd have beenup against, with that pack trying their level best to pull us down. Wemight have had to climb up in a tree, and sit there all night, for all weknow. But Fred, what'd we better do about it now?"

"About what?" asked the other. 

"This dog here, " continued Bristles, pointing down at the animal thatlooked so fierce even in death. 

"I was just thinking, " Fred told him, "whether we had better lift himinto the fork of a tree, so he could be found if we let the farmers knowabout it, or try to drag him along to the tollgate house. "

"It can't be so very far away, I should think, " observed Colon, "and I'dbe willing to take my turn at dragging him there. "

"Nothing like showing the proof, when you tell a whopping big story, "declared Bristles, "and I know a lot of fellows who'll like as not lifttheir eyebrows, and grin to beat the band when they hear about this warmtime we've had. We want to be able to stamp the yarn as true as anythingthat ever happened. So take hold of one leg, Colon, and I'll manage theother. Sho! that's easy enough going, and for one I don't mind it abit. "

"Call on me to take my turn any time, boys, " announced Fred, as hestarted off in the lead. 

The wild dog pack had evidently been effectually broken up by theenergetic action of the Riverport runners. Not a single bark or yelp wasto be heard in any direction. Scattered to the four winds the dogs wereapt to return to their respective homes, and change their bad habits. With the loss of their savage ringleader, the impulse to live a wild lifewould possibly leave them all. 

Fred once more began to figure on their course. He knew that the fainttrail he and Bristles had been following through the woods had begun tobear away in a quarter that made it impossible for them to pursue it anylonger, if they expected to come out near the Belleville tollgate. 

Thanks to his possession of the compass, and something of a knowledge ofthe general conditions, Fred was able to decide on this without muchtrouble. 

They did not make any attempt at speed indeed, that would have beenutterly impossible, while they continued to drag the slain dog alongafter them. Colon finally gave a hint that he was ready to abandon theidea of showing the result of their encounter to the toll-gate keeper, notwithstanding that through him all the farmers in that neighborhoodwould eventually learn of their good luck. 

"But I don't like to quit anything I've started on, " objected Bristles, when the long-legged runner had thus casually mentioned that it was nofun dragging the big beast over rough ground. "Think how far we've keptit up already. Huh! want to have that work just wasted? Not much forme! If you're tired, Colon, just say the word, and I'll lug him along bymyself, or else Fred ahead there might lend me a helping hand. "

"Me tired? Why, whatever put that silly notion in your head, Bristles?I didn't know you set such great store by showing the old thing; butsince I see you do, why of course I'm game to hold out to the finish. Hope you don't want to get the blooming dog stuffed, and keep him mountedin your den at home. "

"Well, that'd be the limit!" exclaimed Bristles, laughing at the idea. "I feel right now that he's going to visit me lots of times in my dreams, with all that double row of white teeth showing, and his red lips drawnback! Ugh! I'll not forget in a hurry how he looked, I tell you, Colon. And didn't he take the punishment I heaped on him, though? I used upevery ounce of strength I had in slinging my club. You notice that I'mtoting that along, don't you?"

"Oh! that's the racket, is it? A bow of blue ribbon tied to the club, and hang it on the wall of your room at home? Well, Bristles, I don'tblame you much, because he was an ugly customer. If he'd ever gotten youdown, it'd been tough on you. "

"Here, let up on that style of talk, will you, Colon? It makes me have acold chill run up and down my spinal column. Let's talk about somethingmore cheerful. What d'ye think about this shortcut through the woods?Fred says it's going to save a lot, and that nearly every fellow willlike as not take to it. A mile of this goes against three by the road. "

"So long as every contestant knows the ground, it might pay to take thecut-off, " Colon remarked, "but I noticed some swampy ground that I'd hateto get lost in. If any runner fails to show up at the tape, they'll haveto send out a searching party to look for him through this section. "

"That'll be his lookout, then, " observed Bristles, calmly. "Everybodyshinny on his own side. Preparation is part of the battle. The fellowwho is too lazy to go over the course in advance will have to take bigchances, that's all. He won't deserve to win. "

"This is certainly a dreary place, all right, " the tall runner went on tosay, as he looked to the right, and then to the left. "Why, I didn'tknow there was such a desolate stretch of woodland within twenty miles ofRiverport. Some of it's good farming land too, if part is boggy, andeven that would make a cranberry marsh, if anyone wanted to try it out. "

"It's all second growth timber, though, " called back Fred, who was stilljust a dozen paces in the lead, and pushing his way through brush thatoften entirely concealed the ground. 

"Sure it is, " Bristles went on to say. "Long ago the original timber wascut down, and sent to the sawmills. Listen to the frogs croaking overthat way; must be a pond somewhere around. "

"I was going to ask you if you'd run across any snakes yet?" Coloninquired, with considerable show of interest, because, as well knownamong his friends, the tall runner had always felt a decided antipathyfor all crawling things, and would never handle even an inoffensivegarter-snake; indeed, slimy greenbacked frogs he abominated, claimingthat they had the same clammy feeling as snakes. 

"Why, yes, a couple whipped across the trail back there, " Bristlesadmitted. 

"Not rattlers, I hope?" ejaculated Colon, coming to a sudden stop, as heturned an apprehensive look upon his companion. 

"No, " Bristles told him, with a scornful inflection in his voice, for hedid not share Colon's antipathy toward crawling reptiles, and could notunderstand how any fellow could be so foolish as to shiver at sight of amere wriggling object. "Fred says it's too early for rattlers to showout of their dens. One was a fair-sized black snake, and the other mighthave been an adder; he was short and stumpy, and had a flat head. "

"Just as poisonous as anything that crawls, " said Colon, with a shudder, and an involuntary hasty look around him. As a rule, he was far frombeing nervous, and yet when a stick that had bent under Fred's weightsuddenly sprang back into shape again, the tall runner gave a low cry ofalarm, and even dropped the leg of the dog that he had been clinging toso sturdily all that distance. 

Not liking to be joked about his fears, Colon made out that a thorn hadjabbed him in the leg, and bending down he started to rubbing vigorouslyat his ankle. Bristles, apparently, was aware of the true state ofaffairs, for he grinned as he waited for the other to assist him oncemore. 

"These thorns do stick you right smart when they get a chance at a bareshin, for a fact, Colon, " he went on to observe, grimly, "but so long asthey don't draw blood, the damage's not apt to amount to much, I reckon. There's Fred disappeared from sight, and we'll have to hurry if we wantto catch up with him before we strike that road, which I calculate can'tbe a great way off. "

It happened that they were passing over some rather rough country justthen, with a number of dark-looking gullies intersecting their course. In places it was even necessary for them to drop down into these and thenclimb up on the opposite side. This took time, but the boys fancied theymust be close to the road they had been aiming to reach. 

"See anything of Fred, yet?" asked Bristles. "You're such a tall fellowyou c'n spy a heap farther than me. "

Colon looked, and then shook his head. 

"He's nowhere around, as far as I c'n see, " he remarked, and dropping hisshare of the burden, Colon sprang back in alarm, as a voice seemed tocome up out of the very earth at their feet, saying:

"Keep back there, you fellows, or you'll be tumbling down on top of me!"

"Hello! there, Fred, where under the sun are you?" demanded Bristles, looking around him in sheer amazement. 

"I've fallen into some sort of cave here, that's all!" came back in amuffled voice. 

CHAPTER VIII

THE TELL-TALE PIN

Colon and Bristles stood there, and looked at each other in dismay, uponhearing Fred say that he had met with such a strange misfortune. 

"Well, if that doesn't beat my time!" the latter exclaimed. "And tothink that while you and I talked back there, our chum was lying down insome old black hole. What if he's broken his leg, or even sprained anankle, ---Riverport will miss a good man in this Marathon race, believeme!"

"Let's see if we can find the hole where Fred slipped down, " suggestedColon. 

"And be careful we don't go the same way, too, " added Bristles, drily. 

At that they started to move carefully forward, closely examining everyfoot of the way as they went. In a short time Colon uttered a cry. 

"Found it, have you?" demanded Bristles, with a disappointed grunt, forhe had hoped to be the lucky one himself. 

"Look there where that root sticks up!" the other called out, pointing ashe explained. "Seems to me there might be a gap of some sort. Let'screep a little closer and find out. Yes, that's the hole, and nomistake, Bristles. And Fred---he must have slipped down so fast he justcouldn't grab hold of anything. If he did, it gave way, and went downalong with him. "

They accordingly crept forward, and began to stare down through theopening. 

"Why, what's this I see?" ejaculated Bristles. "Somebody's got a lightworking down there, Colon!"

"It's our chum, I reckon, " the tall boy told him, after another look. 

"What, Fred?" persisted Bristles. "But whatever would he be striking amatch for, I want to know?"

"To look around, I should say, " Colon informed him, and the statementseemed so simple that it apparently convinced Bristles on the spot, forhe hastened to remark:

"Well, that sure would be just like Fred now, to think of finding outwhat sort of a coop he'd dropped into, the first thing. Hello! downthere!"

"Hello! yourself, Bristles!" came back the cheery answer. 

"First of all, tell us if you got hurt any, Fred!" called Bristles, whocould not get the notion out of his head that the other may have beenseriously injured. 

"Why, no, nothing to mention, " came the ready answer. "A few more littlescratches, it might be, but then they don't count. Kind of knocked thebreath out of my body at first, and took me a little while to recover, but no damage done, boys. "

"What are you doing with the light, Fred?" Colon wanted to know. 

"I only wanted to see what sort of a place this is, that's all, " Fredtold him, as his match expired, and the darkness came again. 

"And did you find out?" continued Bristles, eagerly, possibly his mindbeginning to wrestle with all sorts of strange ideas concerning hiddentreasure vaults, and, mysterious hiding-places where counterfeiterscarried on their illegal trade. 

"It seems to be only an ordinary cave, like others we've run across, "Fred told them. "If you felt like coming down, I think it would be easyenough. "

"Not the way you tried it, Fred; you'll have to excuse me, " laughedBristles. "But I think I can feel the rough rocks here, and seems as ifa fellow as spry as Colon might manage to shuffle down. Anyhow, I'mgoing to try it. I've got a few matches of my own in my pocket, that wecould use to look around with. "

"Take it slow, and no hurry, boys, " warned Fred, at the same time movingout of the way, so that if a stone were dislodged in their passage, itwould not come in contact with his head. 

For a couple of minutes there could be heard a scraping noise, as the twoboys lowered themselves down into the opening. Fred struck anothermatch, which he held up in order to give them the benefit of the feebleillumination. Assisted by this light, both of the newcomers managed toreach the side of their chum without encountering any serious difficulty. 

"Well, here we are, fellows, all down!" Bristles declared, with a sigh ofrelief. "I only hope that when we try to climb up again, it won't be anall day job. "

"Much easier than coming in, " Colon told him. "It always is, when you'remounting a steep cliff; because then you can see just where you're going. When starting down you hardly know where to put each foot, and when youlook to see, it makes you giddy to find how far below the bottom lies. "

"Did you see anything when you looked around, that made you want to takea second peep, Fred?" asked Bristles, still clinging to his suspicion. 

"I don't know, " replied Fred. "It's like this. The match was going outwhen I thought I glimpsed something on the rocky floor that looked likethe ashes of a dead fire! And after that I thought I'd like to make surebefore I left here, ---just to satisfy my curiosity, you know, boys. "

"A fire, eh?" ventured Bristles. "Well, since no wild animal was everknown to start such a thing, that tells us this same cave must havesheltered human beings some time or other. "

"Hoboes, most likely, " observed Colon; "trust them for finding such asnug hiding-place, after they've gone and robbed some country postoffice, or a farmer's chicken coop. "

"I'll strike a light, then, and Fred, you show us where the ashes lie, "and with these words Bristles drew a match hastily along the seat of histrousers, causing it to burst into a bright flame. 

"Over this way, boys, " Fred told them, as he stepped across the rockyfloor of the cave that had been found in such a queer way. 

It was just as he had said, for there on the stones they could see theplain marks of a fire. Colon knew a thing or two about woodcraft, andthe very first indication of this was when he thrust his hand into theashes. 

"As cold as they can be, " he observed, immediately. 

"Which shows that the fire hasn't been burning lately at all, " Bristleshastened to add, to prove that he understood what Colon meant to infer. 

"Whoever camped in here cooked a meal or two, that's plain, " Fredremarked, as he pointed to some chicken bones that were strewn around. 

"Tramps, as sure as anything, and they've been raiding the hencoopsaround this region, too, " Colon ventured to say. 

"And that poor old wild dog had to stand the blame for it all, " saidBristles. "It's nearly always that way; give a dog a bad name, andeverybody condemns him. For all we know, some of the sheep that havebeen killed might have been pulled down by an innocent looking shaggy dogbelonging to the farmer himself, but it's so easy to saddle the blame onthe wicked one. What was that you picked up, Colon?"

"As near as I can make out it looks like one of those tin biscuit boxesyou see at the store, " the tall boy replied, holding the object up. "It's got a rubber band around it. Queer thing for tramps to buy. Onlyimported biscuits are put up this way, Miss Fletcher told me, and sheought to know because she's English, and won't eat any other kind. "

"Let me see that tin, will you please, Colon?" asked Fred, suddenly. 

After he had looked sharply at it, inside and out, he nodded his head. 

"I thought it might be like that, " Fred remarked, mysteriously. Thismanner of talking caused his comrades to stare, and Colon cried out:

"Now, whatever is there about that old tin to make you speak like that, Fred? If you'd picked up a clue to some robbery, you couldn't look morepleased. 

"Perhaps we have, " said Fred, meaningly. "Take another look at this tinbox, both of you. Notice how the heavy rubber band has been fastenedunderneath, so it couldn't get lost. You never heard of such a thingbeing done where there were just plain crackers in a tin, did you? Ofcourse not. Well, don't you see that this would make a splendidreceptacle for papers, or securities? And just before your match wentout, Bristles, I thought I could see a little scrap of paper sticking ina corner. That would prove it had held such things. "

Bristles could be heard uttering a series of exclamations, as he startedto get another match going. 

"If this doesn't take the cake! Why, all of us ought to remember how oldMr. Periwinkle complained that someone had entered his house and hooked asum of money, as well as some papers he kept in a tin box in his desk. Why, this must be the same tin box, fellows! We ought to keep it, andshow it to him. "

They examined the thing once more, while the match was burning. 

"Guess you're right, Bristles, and this is the box old Periwinkle kepthis valuables in, " Colon pursued, "but mighty little comfort it's goingto do him to set eyes on the same again. Would you care to have theshells turned back to you, after somebody'd gone and gobbled up the fatkernel of the nut?"

"It will settle the fact that the robber, whoever he could have been, must have stayed in this cave lately, " said Fred, seriously. "I don'tthink these ashes are very old, perhaps not more than a couple of days, at most. So you see that tells us the thief must be around here still. "

"Watching out for a bigger haul, more'n likely!" Bristles declared, somewhat excitedly. "I don't believe he got much at Periwinkle's place, because the old man is poor as Job's turkey; leastways he makes out tobe, though some folks say he's a sort of miser. But there are farmersthat keep quite a sum of money around, and it might be this hobo iswaiting to get a chance at a big haul. "

"How do we know but what he aims to clean out the Riverport bank somefine night; that sort of thing has been done lots of times in otherplaces?" remarked Colon. 

"All of which makes our duty the plainer, boys, " Fred told them, "whichis to keep this tin box, and show it to Chief Sutton. He'll know what todo about it, and if he says we ought to tell Mr. Periwinkle, why, we'lltake a turn up there to-night. I heard that he'd offered a small rewardfor the return of the papers, and no questions asked; which was a bid tothe thief to send the same back, and get paid for doing it. "

"And to think of you falling down into this cave the way you did, Fred, "Colon continued. "Do you reckon that hole up there might be the only wayin and out?"

"Well, as far as I could see around, it's only a small affair, so Iwouldn't be surprised if that turned out to be the case, " was the replyFred made. 

Bristles apparently had brought a bountiful supply of matches along, anddid not mean to spare them, if by striking successive lights he couldsatisfy his curiosity. 

The others saw him bend forward, and act as though he had picked somesmall object from the rocky floor of the cave. 

"What did you find, Bristles?" demanded Fred. 

"Share and share alike, " called out Colon. "If you've discovered adiamond, why we all ought to have a part of what you get for the same. What's that, Bristles? Well, I declare, if it isn't a sort of breastpin, as sure as you live! But such a cheap affair isn't worth ten cents. Ifthat's the stuff this robber has got his pockets lined with, it won't paythe Chief much to chase him down. Only a flimsy little old platedbreastpin, with a red stone in it. Huh!"

But the face that Bristles turned on Fred Fenton expressed a vast amountof uneasiness, surprise and concern. 

"Gee! I wonder now, if that could be?" he was muttering, so that evenFred began to see that Bristles had struck some sort of clue calculatedto stagger him more or less. 

"What ails you, Bristles?" Fred asked him, pointedly, as the match wentout. 

"Why, Fred, as sure as my name is Andy Carpenter, which I sometimes hearit is, I've seen this same silly little pin before!"

"Where?" demanded Fred, almost holding his breath as though heanticipated the answer that was coming. 

"That little girl had it on the day we pulled her brother, Sam Ludson, out of the river, " was the startling reply. 

CHAPTER IX

AT THE TOLL-GATE

"Are you sure of that, Bristles?" asked Fred, upon hearing his chum makesuch an astonishing assertion with regard to that tawdry breastpin pickedup in the cave. 

"Fred, you c'n see for yourself that while this is a mighty cheap oldthing, it's made in a queer shape, " Bristles went on to say. 

"All of which is true, I admit, " the other confessed. 

"Well, you know I've always been a great hand for noticing things, " saidBristles. 

"Sure you have, " interrupted Colon, who was listening intently, althoughit was all "Greek" to him; "and 'specially when they happen to beconnected with a pretty girl. "

Bristles grinned as he turned on the tall chum. 

"Oh! rats!" he exclaimed, "you're off your base this time, Colon, becauseshe was a homely little thing, and with clothes on that I'd hate to see asister of mine wearing. But I say again, and I'll keep on sayingit---Sadie, if that was her name, was wearing this same brooch the day wepulled her brother Sam out of the river, when he'd broke into anairhole. "

"You understand what that might mean, don't you, Bristles?" pursued Fred. 

"Why, I reckon now you're trying to make me see that the boy'n girl mighthave had something to do with the stealing of Mr. Periwinkle's money andpapers, " was the way Bristles answered him. 

"If the girl was here, the boy must have been, too, " said Fred. 

"But gee whiz! Fred, that youngster didn't look as if he had half enoughnerve to do a thing like that, " urged Bristles, scornfully. 

"Oh! he had nerve enough, never fear, " Fred went on to remark, "for youmay remember he never gave a single peep himself, and it was the girl whodid the shouting for help. "

"Might have been scared too much, " suggested Colon, wanting to have somesay in the matter. 

"No, I don't think he was, " replied Fred, "because the girl told us hekept urging and demanding that she hold back and not try to help him, because his one fear seemed to be she would fall in too. But there's onething we haven't seemed to figure on before, Bristles. "

"Say, I just bet you're going to spring that uncle on ne, " remarked theother, with surprising quickness. 

"Why not, " demanded Fred, "when we have learned that Corny Ludson hascharge of the boy and girl, and must have been here in this cave withthem. There was a man here, because I've found signs of his smokingseveral cheap cigars, throwing the stubs around afterwards. "

"What's that?" cried Colon, just then; "say that name again for me, won'tyou?"

"Why, Corny Ludson, a man who seems to be uncle or guardian or somethingto the boy we pulled out of the Mohunk, the last time we ran my iceboatup river, " Bristles informed him. 

Colon looked happy. No longer was he to remain "sitting on the fence, "without feeling he had any particular interest in the game. Circumstances had managed it so that he could now enter the free-for-allrace, and take his place in line. 

"Now that's a rather odd name, you'll admit, boys, " he started to say inhis slow, shrewd fashion, "and it's not likely that there'd be two CornyLudsons around this section of country; likewise having a couple ofhalf-grown kids along in the bargain. "

"Go on, Colon; it begins to look like you knew something we want to hearthe worst way, " Bristles urged. 

"Here's the way it stands, then, fellows, " the obliging Colon continued. "At first I didn't just catch the last name when you spoke about Sam andSadie. That is why I didn't break in sooner. But Ludson gives it away. He's the same man Mr. Peets the butcher was talking about one day somelittle time ago. "

"Yes, but tell us what he said, can't you?" urged Bristles. 

"You see, I was in there waiting to be served, and the butcher wastalking with Judge Wallace. I don't know how it came about they got toarguing, but seemed that Mr. Peets wanted to back up something he said, and so he started in to tell about a man that had just left the shop, having two children along, after buying the cheapest kind of a cut. Saidhis name was Corny Ludson, and that once he used to be a rich man over inNew Brunswick, but he'd lost all he had, and now depended on his wits fora mighty poor living. "

"That all sounds pretty, interesting, Colon; but if there's any more, suppose you get along and give us the same, " Bristles told him. 

"I remember I heard Mr. Peets say he didn't like the looks of the man, "continued the one who was giving the story; "and then he went on toexplain that he considered himself a good reader of character, whichallowed him to size the said Ludson up as a trickster who wouldn't stopat taking things belonging to other people, if he believed he could do itwithout getting caught!"

"Bully!" exclaimed Bristles; "that covers the bill to a dot, doesn't itFred? Sure Corny must have believed he saw a good chance to grab thistin box belonging to Mr. Periwinkle, and not get the hooks in him. Hedid it, too, and has been living on the proceeds of the robbery eversince. "

"There must be something mysterious about the man, then, " remarked Fred. "And it might pay for someone to get in touch with the people over in NewBrunswick, so as to find out whether he did live there once, a rich man, and why he cleared out. "

"That's right, Fred, " observed Bristles. "When people fight shy of theirnative place, it pays to learn the reason. Course sometimes they have agood cause for keeping away, but lots of 'em do so because they dassen'tgo back. But I'm meaning to keep this queer little pin. "

"And if you happen to run across Sadie Ludson again, you'll give it backto her, won't you?" Fred asked him. 

"Just what I had in mind, to a dot, " admitted Bristles. "I might tellher where I picked it up, too, and see what she'd say. "

"Well, even if you did get her to admit that she'd been here, thatwouldn't prove anything, would it?" queried Colon. 

"We'd know Corny had been camping in this cave, " said Bristles, sturdily, "and from the fact that we picked up this same tin box, _empty_, it'dlook pretty much as if he ought to know something about it. They'd callthat circumstantial evidence. "

"And if the boy and girl had to be questioned by Judge Wallace they mighthe coaxed to confess that they'd seen their uncle handling this tin box, "added Fred. "That would fix the blame without any question. "

"Something may come of our find, " Colon went on to say, now feeling thathe had a perfect right to count himself in the game, "and on that accountI reckon you'd be doing the right thing to keep both the pin and the box, boys. "

"And all we ask of you, Colon, " Bristles suggested, "is that you stickmum. Let Fred run the thing. If he wants any help, he'll tell us, so wec'n assist. "

"Oh! I'll be a clam, " asserted the tall runner with a chuckle, "and onceI give my word, nobody ever knew me to break it. But say, doesn't itfeel kind of chilly down here? Remember we haven't any too much on inthe way of clothes, and for one I was a little heated after my run tocatch up with you fellows. "

"That's where your head is level, Colon, " Fred told him, "and so we mightas well climb out of this. I'm happy to know I didn't even sprain anankle when I dropped down through that hole. "

They found no great difficulty in gaining the outside world again, forthe stones offered a substantial footing. So it came about thatpresently the three chums were once more moving along at a fair pace, being desirous of throwing off that chilly feeling. 

It turned out that Fred's calculations were correct "to a hair, " asBristles triumphantly declared, when they burst upon the road just fiftyyards above the Belleville toll-gate. 

"That's figuring some for you!" he exclaimed, as soon as they had sightedthe inclined pole that signified the presence of the barrier where everyvehicle had to halt and pay the regular tariff, according to the numberof wheels, or of the horses it took to draw the load. 

They had hung on to the defunct dog in spite of all their hurrying, forthat plan to let the farmers of the community know they were rid of theirgreatest pest still clung to the boys' minds. 

Bristles was looking ahead as they advanced along the road, and aboutthis time was heard to give vent to an exclamation. 

"Would you believe it?" he cried. "If there isn't the wagon at thetoll-gate belonging to that old farmer I heard telling about the dogsthat'd played havoc with his sheep! And I reckon now, he'll be rightglad to see the leader of the pack laid out as we've got him!"

CHAPTER X

BRISTLES' SURPRISE PARTY

"That's a queer coincidence, if you'd care to call it by that name, "remarked Colon, who liked once in a while to make use of some long word. 

"It simply shows that we had long heads when we made up our minds to lugthis old tramp dog all the way here, just to prove our story, " Fredobserved. 

"That was your scheme, Fred, all right, " Bristles quickly asserted. 

"No more than the rest of you, " he was instantly told, for Fred neverliked to be given sole credit for anything unusual, when he had chumsalong. "All the same, I guess the old farmer will be tickled half todeath to know the sheep-killing pack has been broken up for good. "

"You think our knocking the leader out is going to do that, do you, Fred?" asked Colon. 

"In nine cases out of ten that's the way things go. There's a keystoneto every arch, and when you remove that, the whole thing tumbles down. "

"My idea to a dot, " asserted Bristles, doggedly. "Chances are the restof those curs have started on the run for their old homes before this;and unless another leader springs up, which isn't likely, we've seen thelast of the sheep-killers. But hold on, fellows, perhaps we can have alittle fun with the old farmer. "

"How?" asked Colon, not at all unwilling. 

"He doesn't seem to be about his wagon just now, you notice?" venturedBristles. 

"Knows the toll-gate keeper right well, " explained Colon, "because he'sbeen coming past here, year in and year out, a long time now. Like asnot he's stepped in to sit and talk, or else sample something wet. But Ihope now, Bristles, you don't mean to start the team off on the run, orsomething like that, just to see an old man rush after 'em?"

"What d'ye take me for?" demanded the other, indignantly. "I leave allsuch mean tricks to Buck Lemington, Clem Shooks, Ben Cushing and thatcrowd. Here's where we might play an innocent little joke on the farmer, and he'll laugh as hard as we do when he catches on. It's thedog---let's sneak up back of the wagon, and lift the thing in. Then youleave the rest to me. "

Colon waited to hear what Fred said. He was accustomed to depending tosome extent on the opinion of this chum, to whom the boys usually lookedas their leader. 

"I should think that was fair enough, Bristles, " Fred quickly announced. "We're intending to give the farmer a pleasant little surprise party, that's all. Have it your way, then. Here, let's move around a little, so they won't sight us from the open door of the toll-gate house. "

It was a very simple matter to do this, and presently they had depositedthe already stiffening body of the sheep-destroying dog in the bed of thewagon, where it certainly presented a very gruesome appearance, with itsfour feet sticking up in the air. 

This done, the boys walked around, and onto the little porch that wasspread out before the door of the cottage. 

Voices reached their ears, and it was evident that their presence hadbeen discovered, for two men immediately came out. Bristles noticed thatthe old farmer was even then brushing the back of his hand across hislips, thus indicating that he had been sampling a glass of hard cider, aspecialty of the toll-gate keeper. 

"Hello! Mr. Jenks!" remarked Bristles, who, it seemed, knew the keeper. "We're up here to look over the ground for the big Marathon race that'scoming off before long. "

The farmer had started toward his team, but hearing this, he stopped tolisten. 

"I reckoned as much as soon as I see you boys in your running togs, " thetollgate keeper went on to say, affably enough, "because there was a gentup here only yesterday that said he represented the committee, and thatthey expected to have what they called a registering station here at thetoll-gate, though I don't just know what that really means. "

"Why, you see, in a long gruelling run of twenty-five miles, " explainedBristles, "it's necessary to have certain places a few miles apart, andespecially at turns in the course, where every contestant enters his namein his own handwriting, as well as the time he passed there. "

"You don't tell me!" exclaimed Mr. Jenks. "But what's all thattomfoolery for? Strikes me they go to a heap of trouble for next tonothing. "

"Why, you see, " continued Bristles, "these races have to be abovesuspicion. The committee doesn't want anybody to be able to say therewas any crooked work about the run. The fellow who wins must have beatenevery competitor fairly. And by this system of registering they have acomplete record of the race. No one can cut across lots and cheat, without its showing in the record. "

"Oh! now I understand you, my lad, and I guess it's a good thing. Thatgent was a fine one, and he said I had the best---but never mind what hesaid. How far have you come this time, boys?"

"This is over half the distance, " explained Fred, "and we're on the homestretch right now. But we're not trying for a record to-day. Fact is, we're just feeling out the ground. The next time we come we'll stop onlya minute, as if we were registering, and be off, for that's when we'll betrying it out to see what our time is. "

"Oh! excuse me, " said Bristles, as he saw the old farmer once more turntoward his rig, as though he felt he must be going on, "but didn't I hearyou telling someone in the market the other day that you'd lost a numberof sheep lately?"

The old man frowned, and shook his head sadly. 

"Three of my best, and I reckons that if things keep on the way they'regoin', I won't have any flock left purty soon, boy, " he replied. 

"And you said the damage had all been done by a pack of wild dogs, didn'tyou?" continued Bristles. 

"Anybody with one eye could see that, by the way the sheep was mangled, and the pad of the prints around. They're gettin' to be a terror uphere. Jenks kin tell you how he's heard the lot carrying on like Cainover in the woods there nights. "

"Did you ever see the pack, mister?" asked Bristles. 

"Well, I can't say as I really and truly has, son, but I do believe Iknows what the wust of the lot looks like, " the farmer told him. 

"How was that, sir?" asked the boy, eagerly. He saw the old man shrughis broad shoulders, while a whimsical look appeared on his sunburnedface. 

"Jest because I set on a limb, and looked down at the critter three wholehours, till he got so pizen hungry he slunk off, and let me get home. Hecome nigh ketchin' me afore I cud git up in a tree; and from the looks ofthem ugly fangs, chances are he'd a-tore me right bad. "

"Then I should think you'd know that dog again if ever you saw him?"suggested Bristles, with a wink toward his chums. 

"I hopes I'll never have the bad luck to see him alive again!" declaredthe old farmer, as he started to climb up to the seat of his wagon. 

"Now watch the circus!" hissed Bristles. 

The farmer had just about drawn himself up when they heard him giveutterance to a startled exclamation, for he found himself facing theuninvited passenger in the back of his open wagon bed. Had Bristles beenmore inclined to be cruel, he might have fixed the dog so that he wouldappear lifelike, and in the attitude of springing. 

The farmer remained there as though turned into stone. Then he managedto recover his wits, and burst out into a shout. 

"It's the same pizen critter!" he exclaimed joyously, "and keeled over atlast! But I'd like to know---say, you don't meant to tell me now, boys, 'twas you that done for that turrible beast?"

"Well, " said Bristles, trying hard not to look too important, "theytackled us in the woods, and it was either us or him, so we managed topound the leader until he kicked the bucket, and the rest of the pack litout. I guess that combine's broken up for good, mister. You won't loseany more of your sheep, believe me. "

The old man got down, and insisted upon shaking hands all around, he feltso delighted over the new turn affairs had taken. 

"And the next time I go to Riverport, I'll tell what a fine thing youboys did up here, " he remarked, as the three runners prepared to startdown the road, heading for the home town. 

On the way it was finally decided that they would go to the office of theChief of Police and tell him about finding the empty tin box, but not saya thing in connection with that pin. Afterwards, Fred said, they mightsee Mr. Periwinkle, So as to learn whether the tin box was really hisproperty. 

They felt uncertain as to just what their duty might be in a case likethis, for while it seemed only right that the guilty one should suffer, at the same time both Fred and Bristles remembered what sorrowful facesthat brother and sister had, and they could not find it in their heartsto do anything likely to add to the burdens the children already had tobear. 

So the case rested as the days passed. Though unknown to the boys, atime was coming, and near at hand, when the mystery of the tin box wasbound to be explained. 

CHAPTER XI

ON THE GREEN CAMPUS

A group of merry boys and girls, after school hours, had gathered on thecampus, and were chatting at a lively rate. This was a week after Fredand his two companions had gone over the course that previous Saturday, to judge of the difficulties they were likely to encounter when the greatrace came off. 

Preparations had gone steadily on, and the time that must elapse beforethe Marathon was run could be measured in days. The greatest excitementreigned among the young people of Riverport, and it was said that boththe neighboring towns were worked up to fever-heat on account of theprospective race. 

Mechanicsburg welcomed another chance to even the score, which had toooften been in favor of her closest rival, and even Paulding boasted thatlong distance running might be called her "best hold, " since she hadseveral lads who were apt to prove wonders at that game. 

On the whole, such intense interest had never before been aroused inschool circles in the three rival towns. Hundreds could hardly wait forthe day to come when, in the presence of unequaled crowds, the questionof supremacy would be decided once for all. 

There was Flo Temple, a very pretty, attractive girl, whom Fred alwaystook to dances, and skated with on the river; her chum Cissie Anderson, alittle addicted to slang, though witty, and "fetching, " as Sid Wells washeard to admit many a time, even when she had rubbed it into him prettyhard; and last, but not least, that energetic sister of Sid's, MameWells, a girl who could play almost any game that boys did, and fairlywell at that. 

The girls seemed to be having no end of fun about something or other, andthe crowd laughed at their sallies. Even the victims themselves, took itgoodnaturedly, knowing that it was all in good sport. 

"The chosen few who are going to do the honors for Riverport in thiswonderful race!" Cissie was saying, with a look of pretended concern onher pink and white face. "Don't we pity them, though, girls? They saythey're at the training table now, and have to give up pies, and allsorts of other good things. Look at their faces, and see what awoebegone expression has settled there. Every time I glimpse at Sid andFred, I have to think of a funeral, or a famine. "

"Yes, it must be a dreadful thing to have to actually starve yourself, and all for the sake of getting in what they call condition, " Mame Wellsremarked. "Why, for the first time in all his life, Sid has to get upfrom the table before the dessert comes on. He says he just couldn'tstand for it to stay, and see us all enjoying ourselves while he's shutout. Poor boy, I wish it was over for his sake. "

"Why, they'll all be like walking skeletons if this keeps on muchlonger, " Flo Temple, the doctor's daughter, broke in with. "I even toldFred he'd have to walk with a heavy cane, like an old man, before long, and I offered him one of father's, but he must have felt ashamed to takeit, though I just know he wanted to. "

"Oh! well, " observed Corney Shay, slyly, "a heavy stick like that is amighty nice thing to have along with you, when you're coming home awfullate at night, " and of course that caused a great laugh, as well as theblushes to flash up in the cheeks of pretty Flo. 

"But don't any of you try to pity us, and think we're suffering for wantof a decent meal, " Fred told them. "Training table simply means thatyou've got to drop pastry, and all such silly things as that. We eatbeefsteak and chops and eggs just as much as we want to, most vegetables, fish and fruits, and even plain cake. Why, it's the finest thing a boycan do, to try training for a month, and every fellow would be better offfor doing it. "

"Then the daily runs we take, and the other exercise in the bargain, "added Sid, "is making our flesh as hard as nails. Just feel that muscle, will you?" and he flexed his arm as he held it out toward the gray-eyedCissie, who of course, after duly feeling of it, gave Sid a sly pinchthat made him jump. 

Everybody knew that Fred and Flo were good chums, and were nearly alwaystogether. It was that very fact that had made Buck Lemington dislikeFred so much in the beginning. Buck had aspirations in that quarterhimself, and there had been a time, before the other boy came to town, that he acted as escort to the doctor's pretty daughter, when they wereall much younger than now. 

"I hear that the course has all been laid out at last, " remarked a smallbut lively high school boy, a cousin of Colon. He really had a firstname, though most people seemed to have forgotten to say "Harrison, " foreverywhere he went by the appellation of Semi-Colon, as compared with thelengthy one. 

"We were told the same thing, " Flo ventured to say, "but twenty-fivemiles seems a terribly long way to run. My father is to examine everyapplicant, because they say it would be dangerous for any boy not in thebest of condition to start out, and undergo the strain that a long racecauses. So if any of you has a weak heart I'm sorry for you. "

"Don't waste your pity on Fred, then, Flo, " said Cissie, "because youought to know his heart's all right. Besides, we've seen him put to thetest, and feel sure he'll do good old Riverport High credit. So willthey all. There isn't a girl in town but firmly believes the race isbound to come to our school, " and she gave Sid an arch look that causedhim to nod his head in delight. 

"One thing sure, " said Fred, gallantly, "every fellow is bound to makethe greatest effort of his life, after learning how the Riverport girlshave faith in him. I can speak for myself and Sid here, as well asBradley Morton and Colon, who are absent. If we all fail to land theprize, it'll be because there are better long distance runners in theother towns, and not on account of our flunking. "

"They say that to-morrow the four who have been selected to be Riverportentries expect to make the run from start to finish, just to getacquainted with the course, and time themselves; is that so, Fred?" askedMame, who undoubtedly sincerely mourned the fact, as she had often donebefore, that she was a girl, and hence debarred from all these glorioustimes. 

"Yes, we expect to do something like that, if the weather allows, " Fredadmitted, "but of course time isn't going to cut much of a figure in itwith us. We'll leave all that to the big day, and content ourselves bygetting familiar with the lay of the land, finding out all the badplaces, and figuring how best to save a minute here or half of one there. That's what is going to count in the final reckoning, the chances are. "

"Yes, and it stands for the Fred Fenton type of highest strategy, " saidSid, who could praise a friend without feeling the slightest touch ofenvy. "Being prepared means a heap, in war or in sporting matters. That's one reason we're dieting right now, so as to put ourselves in thefinest possible physical condition. "

"And lots of people just think when there's a Marathon race like this, "ventured little Semi-Colon, "that a pack of crazy boys just strip totheir running togs and start pell mell across country without a particleof system whatever. It's all wrong, because every move is mapped outbeforehand by the wise ones. They know just what they can do in the wayof speed, and how much reserve they're holding back against the rush overthe home stretch. That last is where the agony always comes in, 'specially if the race is a close one. Many a fellow's been known tojust crawl under the tape, too weak to stand up, yet wild to win. "

"Well, let's hope nothing like that happens in our Marathon, " said Mame, with a solicitous look toward her handsome brother, of whom she was veryfond. 

"Oh! well, " Sid hastened to explain, to allay her fears, "this is only aboys' run, you know; when regular athletes compete they set a faster pacethan any of us can show; and then the distance is generally much furtherthan twenty-five miles. "

"Here comes Colon now, " remarked Cissie, who often tormented the tallathlete with her witty remarks. 

"He looks more mysterious than ever, " remarked Mame Wells, "and Ishouldn't be surprised now if Colon were hatching up some bright game forthat glorious day of the long race. Not that he'd play any trick thatwasn't honest, but you all know how he likes to pretend to be beatenuntil close to the end, and then fairly fly ahead of every competitor. "

"Colon is going to make Riverport proud of him, you mark my words, " saidFred, lowering his voice, for the object of their conversation was nowclose by, and covering ground at a tremendous pace with those long legsof his, which some of the boys had often compared to a pair ofarchitect's dividers. 

"Hello, everybody!" Colon called out, as he came up. Then, crooking hisfinger toward Fred, he went on to say, "Would you mind stepping aside, Fred, and giving me just a minute or two? Something important, or Iwouldn't bother you. "

Of course the group of boys and girls laughed, and called them a pair ofconspirators, planning some sly game whereby victory might perch on thepurple and gold banner of Riverport High. 

"What's up, Colon?" asked Fred, as soon as they were beyond earshot ofthe noisy crowd, for he saw that the tall fellow looked quite seriousindeed. 

"Remember what we said about that Corny Ludson, don't you, Fred?"

"Why, yes, we concluded to let matters rest, and wait to see if anythingnew would turn up, " replied the other, "but why do you say that, Colon?"

"Oh! because Corny's shown up in Riverport again, and it might mean he'sgot another sly robbery in view, " Colon calmly remarked. 

CHAPTER XII

LAYING PLANS

"Did you see him yourself, Colon, or did some one tell you?" Fredinquired calmly, although he rubbed his forehead, as though bothered alittle by this latest news. 

"Well, you know strangers don't come to town in droves these days, and sowhen I happened to set eyes on a party I didn't recognize, who had justbeen talking with Hi Jimmerson, the livery stable man, I asked him who itwas. Don't know just why that bumped into my head, but I had an errandwith Hi, anyhow, you understand. "

"And he told you it was Corny Ludson, did he?" asked Fred. 

"Yes, that's what he did, " came the ready reply. "It seems he used toknow the man over in New Brunswick years ago. If you and Bristles hadrun across Hi when you were trying to find out something about Corny, you'd have struck a gold mine. He told me a lot of queer things abouthim, and none of 'em that were to his credit, either. "

"What did Corny want with the livery man?" asked Fred. 

"Oh! tried to strike him for a little loan on account of old times, " theother replied. "Said he'd been up against it harder than flint, and hada couple of kids to feed, left to him by his brother. Hi is an easymark, you know, with a great big heart, and he staked Corny to the extentof a dollar, though he did tell him money was scarce, and that would bethe limit. "

Fred seemed to be pondering, for he was somewhat slow about speakingagain. 

"Well, it may be we've been wronging Corny by making up our minds hestole that stuff from old Mr. Periwinkle, " he finally went on to say, "though the miser did tell us he would recognize the tin box among athousand. I hardly know what we ought to do about this thing. "

"If you told the Chief all you know, what d'ye reckon he'd do?" inquiredColon. 

"He's such a peppery and ready-to-act little chap, " answered Fred, "thatI'm of the opinion he'd round Corny up in a rush. That might turn out tobe the right thing. And again there's a chance it'd play him a meantrick. What if he were innocent after all? We'd feel that we'd done hima great wrong. "

This thought worked upon Colon's mind at once, for he had a very tenderheart. 

"Yes, " he added, reflectively. "And then, how about that boy and girl?Like as not they're in some place out of town, right now, depending ontheir uncle to fetch home the bacon. They'd have to go hungry a longtime if Corny were locked up in the cooler. I'd hate to think of thatsame happening, from what you and Bristles told me about the poor kids. "

"That leaves us up in the air, you see, " pursued Fred. "We don't knowwhat our duty is---to tell the Chief, or wait to see what happens. "

"Now, by that I reckon you mean wait and see if anything is pulled offagain in town, or around here?" suggested Colon; "that is, in the way ofa robbery like old Mr. Periwinkle's loss of his money and papers. Whew!I must say it's getting interesting all of a sudden. "

"I was wondering, " Fred ventured, "if Corny, provided he did rob the oldmiser, and has spent the small sum of money that was taken, could haveheard that Mr. Periwinkle has said he'd pay a certain sum, and noquestions asked, for the safe return of his papers!"

At that Colon puckered up his thin lips, and emitted a soft whistle, asif to thus display his surprise. 

"Queer I never thought of that idea, Fred, " he said, nodding his head ina way to indicate that on the whole he was inclined to agree with whathis companion had advanced. 

"It's always possible, you know, " he was told. "If only the papers couldbe returned without Corny showing his face! Now, he may have some sortof a plan like that to play, which would account for his coming to townagain. I wonder if it'd be the right thing for me to see Mr. Periwinkle, and kind of put him on his guard?"

"Could you do it without telling him all about Corny?" demanded Colon. 

"That's the question, " admitted Fred. "That's where the hitch seems tocome in the scheme. The old miser is apt to jump at conclusions, if hesees a chance to get his papers back, and bag the thief at the same time. Once he suspects that I know who was in that cave where the empty tincracker box was found, he'll insist on sending for Chief Sutton, andlaying some sort of clever trap. "

"Well, if Corny is really guilty, he ought to suffer for it; and Iwouldn't care a single pin only for that boy and girl. If we knew wherethey were kept right now, so we could bring 'em into town, and get folksinterested in putting both in good families, I'd say go ahead and haveCorny caught. "

"I wonder what Bristles would say about it, " mused Fred. 

"Huh! I c'n tell you that, " grunted the tall boy, immediately. 

"Then suppose you do, Colon. "

"Bristles, " continued the other, confidently, "would hunch his shouldersthis way, as he nearly always does, and then he'd say: whatever you thinkis the right caper, Fred, count me in. I'm ready to sneeze every timeyou take snuff!' That's the way Bristles would talk, mark my words. "

Fred laughed. He could not help feeling flattered at such an evidence ofconfidence on the part of these two chums; yet he feigned to disagreewith Colon. 

"I don't know about that, Colon, Bristles has a mind of his own, andsometimes it takes a lot of argument to convince him. You've got tobatter down his walls, and knock all the props out from under him beforehe'll throw up the white flag. If I get half a chance to run across lotsto-night, I'll try to see him. He ought to be put wise to what's goingon. 

"That's only fair, Fred, because he was there when we struck that cave. And if I remember aright, Bristles was the first to discover about Cornyhaving been the one who used that cooking fire. "

"Don't pass the word around, Colon, mind, " cautioned Fred. 

"You didn't need to say that, my boy, " remarked the other, with a vein ofreproach in his voice, "because you ought to know I'm not one of theblabbing kind. I c'n keep a secret better'n anybody in our class. Theymight pump me forever and never learn a thing. "

"When was it you saw Corny?" Fred asked, as though desirous of obtainingthe fullest information possible. 

"Why, just a little while ago, " Colon confided. "Fact is, my firstthought was to look you up, and tell you. I went to your house first, because your hours are a heap shorter than the regular scholars, atschool, and they said you'd gone off an hour before. And then, well, Ikind of guessed Flo Temple would be starting for home about this time, and it might be you'd happen along to carry her hooks, as you always usedto. And I was right, " with a sly glance at the little packet Fred had atthat very moment under his left arm. 

"Oh that's all right, Colon, " he remarked, laughingly; "just from forceof habit, you know. Flo kind of expects me to drop around, and seemssort of disappointed when anything keeps me away. That's the way wespoil our girl friends, you see. But let's speak of serious things. Idon't see that we're called on to inform about Corny, with onlycircumstantial evidence against him. If there did happen to be anotherrobbery while we knew he was close by, of course then it would be anotherthing. We just couldn't keep quiet any longer. "

"That's what you've decided on, then, is it, Fred?"

"Yes, to hold off, and wait, " he was told in a decisive way. 

"All right then, and I want to say that I think you're playing safe inthe game. You're holding off on account of that pair of poor kids, Iknow you are. Corny c'n thank them for being let alone. And Fred, seemsto me you're going on the policy of the old saying that tells you to givea rascal rope enough, and he'll hang himself. "

"If anything happens, I promise to go straight to Chief Sutton and puthim in possession of all the facts I know, " affirmed Fred. "And in caseI'm not able to get over to Bristles' place to-night, I'll call him up onthe wire, and tell him how the case stands. "

"You'll have to be careful what you say, then, " remarked Colon, with agrin; "if you happen to have any curious old maid on your party wire, aswe have. "

"Well, it saves the cost of the weekly paper, you know, " laughed Fred. "But you can make sure, Colon, if I do talk with Bristles over the wire, I'll fix things so no one could tell what it was all about, and yet he'llunderstand what I mean. "

"Say I wanted to tell you, Fred, about that same Corny, " Colon observed, taking hold of his chum's sleeve, as he thought he detected an uneasinessabout Fred's actions. Flo was looking their way, and frowning, as thoughshe considered that this mysterious consultation had gone on about longenough, even if it did concern important plans for the coming Marathonrun. 

"I'd be glad to hear it then, Colon, " the tall boy was told. 

"I didn't like his looks a little bit, " Colon continued, seriously. 

"By that style of talk I should imagine you thought he'd just as soonsteal from a miser as eat a square meal; is that what you mean?" Freddemanded. 

"He looks mean as dirt, " the other went on to say. "There's a slick wayhe's got of rubbing his hands together when he's talking, and looking upfrom the tail of his eye, to see how you're taking his patter. Now, I'monly a boy, and I don't make out to be able to read character any greatshakes, but, Fred, I'd be willing to eat my hat if that Corny isn't a badegg every time. "

"Everybody seems to think the same way there, " he was told, "and I've yetto hear the first word in his favor. We'll consider that settled, then, Colon. And if you get wind of anything being pulled off around Riverportto-night, or later on, don't let the grass grow under your feet aboutgiving me a tip. "

"You just bet I won't, Fred. But I hope there'll be some way of findingout about that pair of kids. Somehow I seem to have cottoned to 'em justfrom what you'nd our other chum told me, and without ever havin' set eyeson either the boy or the girl that I know about. I'm meaning to sound myma about how it could be fixed, so they'd have decent homes, in caseanything happened. "

"That sentiment does you credit, Colon, and I promise that when the timecomes, if it ever does, I'll back you up to the limit. "

"Shake hands on that, Fred!" exclaimed impulsive Colon, and then andthere they exchanged a grip that cemented the bargain. 

"I certainly do hope that finishes the wonderful consultation!" calledout a clear girlish voice, and Flo Temple came toward them, with a littlepout on her pretty red lips. "We've grown tired of standing here, andwaiting, while you laid out your great plan of campaign. I should thinkthere was plenty of time for all that between now and the day of theMarathon race. And Fred, you forget you promised to walk out in thewoods with me, and see if the first wild flowers hadn't popped up. Thisis the only chance I've had so far this week, and it'll be late before weget fairly started. "

Of course Fred declared that nothing stood in the way of their immediatedeparture, and as Sid and Cissie had agreed to go along, it may beassumed they had a merry time of it. 

CHAPTER XIII

THE MUFFLED VOICE

"Fred, someone wants you on the 'phone!"

"All right, Sis, tell him I'll be right down, and to hold the wire!"

At the time his younger sister, Josie, called him. Fred was sitting inhis own room at home. It was around eight o'clock, and he had just beenstudying, so as to get such matters off his mind until Monday swungaround again. The next day being Saturday, he and the other selectedcontestants for honors in the big race expected to cover the course at apretty good pace, so as to familiarize themselves with its numerousshortcomings and advantages. 

Not wishing to keep anyone waiting, and suspecting that it must be eitherColon or Bristles who had some sort of communication to make, Fredhurried down to the lower hail where the 'phone hung. 

"Hello!" he called. 

Evidently the other party was waiting, for immediately there came ananswer. 

"That you, Fred?"

"Yes, " replied Fred, at the same time wondering who it could be, becausethere did not seem to be anything familiar about the half muffled tones. 

"This is Bristles!" came the voice. 

"What's that?" exclaimed Fred, wondering if his friend could be trying toplay some trick on him by pretending to change his voice. 

"Bristles, don't you know? Wait a minute till I cough, " and thenfollowed a series of explosive barks that sounded wonderfully realisticover the wire, after which the muffled voice continued: "Seem to havetaken a beastly cold somehow, after school. Sneezing to beat the band, in the bargain. But I want to see you, the worst way, Fred. Can't youcome over to my house, for I oughtn't to go out in the night air withthis cold?"

"Now, you mean, Bristles?"

"Sure, right away. It's only eight o'clock, and I've got something totell you that'll make you sit up and take notice. Excuse me while I barka few times, Fred, " which he accordingly did in a way that made the otherremove the receiver from close contact with his ear. 

"Well, you do seem to have a good dose of it, Bristles, " Fred remarked, laughingly, when the bombardment had finally ceased. "I'm almost afraidthat cold will be catching over the wire. Hope it won't be anythingserious, old fellow. "

"Oh! I'm not bothering about that, Fred, " he was told, "but I'm justaching to tell you something great. You'll be tickled half to death whenyou hear what it is. Never mind asking me, either, because I won'twhisper a word over the wire. "

"All right, then, Bristles. "

"You'll sure come, Fred?" anxiously asked his unseen chum. 

"Why, of course I will, " Fred hastened to assure him. "I meant to runover to your place to-night, anyway, because I've got a little news youought to hear. "

"And Fred, you'll take the short-cut, of course?"

"It's mighty seldom I go any other way, Bristles. Why do you ask?"

"I was only afraid you might have some errand down-town that'd take youthe long way around, that's all, Fred. Now, hurry up, because I'll bustif I have to hold this great thing in much longer. So long, Fred!"

As the thick voice ceased to come over the wire Fred put the receiver onthe hook, and there was a little frown on his face. 

"Now I wonder if he's happened to learn about that Corny Ludson, andmeans to explode it on me?" Fred was saying, as he picked up his hat. As he did so, his glance happening to fall upon a heavy cane with acrooked handle belonging to his father, he took possession of it. 

Perhaps it was the recollection of what pretty Flo Temple had said whenjokingly telling him that he would presently be needing a walking stick, if he kept on dieting for the Marathon race, that suddenly tempted Fredto take this cane, for he had certainly never done it on any previousoccasion. 

Later on he was inclined to believe there might be some truth in thatfable of the sea, to the effect that there is a "little cherub aloft, looking after the affairs of poor Jack, " and keeping him in times ofsudden peril. At any rate the sudden whim of Fred's, when he thought toplay a joke on Bristles, and pretend that he needed a crutch or a cane, since he was becoming lame and decrepit, was fated to turn out one of thefinest things he ever did. 

When Fred stepped out of the front door, he found that it was fairlydark, as the moon happened to be past its full, and consequently had notas yet appeared above the eastern horizon. 

When Fred and Bristles wished to exchange visits they were in the habitof taking a short-cut, that saved considerable distance. It wound in andout over the open lots, though there was only one fence to climb. Sofrequently had the boys made use of this way, in their endeavor to savethemselves from needless steps, that they knew every foot of it like abook. Indeed, a plain trail had been worn by these innumerable trips. 

Bristles had often declared he could go from his house to that of Fredwith his eyes bandaged, and never once get off the track. No doubt itwas the same way with the Fenton boy, who had impressed every littlepeculiarity of that short-cut on his mind. 

Swinging the heavy walking-stick around by the crook, Fred hurried along, climbing the fence on the other side of the road. Just at that moment hechanced to notice a figure coming up the street, and while astride thetopmost rail of the fence he stopped to see if his suspicions wereconfirmed, for he thought he ought to know that peculiar gait. 

When the other started in at the Fenton gate Fred called softly:

"Hello there, Colon!"

The tall figure turned around at being thus addressed from across thestreet. 

"That you, Fred?" he asked, starting to cross over. 

"Nobody else, " replied the other, with a chuckle, "and you happened alongjust in the nick of time, let me tell you. I'd have been gone in threeshakes of a lamb's tail. "

"Going across lots to Bristles's shack, I reckon?" ventured the tall boy, as he reached the side of his friend. 

"Just what I'm meaning to do, " he was told. "Bristles called up before Iwas ready to start across, and wanted me to hurry over. Said he hadsomething to tell me that was simply great. "

"You don't say!" exclaimed Colon. 

"And I've been wondering whether he could have learned about that manbeing in town, " continued Fred. 

"Meaning Corny?" queried Colon. 

"Yes, " Fred replied, still sitting on the rail of the fence. "If you sawhim, there'd be a chance that Bristles might have heard something alongthose lines. You know he's the greatest fellow going for picking upinformation about all sorts of things. "

"It might be, " mused the other, "and we could have some fun with Bristlesby springing the racket on him before he got a chance to let the cat outof the bag. "

"You'll go over with me, then?" asked Fred. 

"That's my present intention, " said Colon. "Fact is, I strolled aroundto see if you expected to drop in on Bristles, and put him wise. Didn'thave anything else to do, this being Friday night, you know. And I'mthat full of the race I seem to want to talk it over all the time. Butwhat are you carrying that heavy walking-stick for? Hope there wasn'tany truth in what Flo Temple said, and that you're getting weak in theknees, Fred?"

"I just happened to remember all that joshing, " Fred told him, "when Isaw dad's stick. So I picked it up, thinking I'd play a joke onBristles, and make out to be lame. But looks a little as if we mightn'thave Bristles along with us to-morrow. "

"How's that?" Colon wanted to know, instantly. 

"Why, it seems he's gone and taken a terrible cold all of a sudden, " Fredtold him. "You'd never have guessed who it was talking over the wire tome. He had to tell me who it was. "

"When was this?" asked Colon, "because I called him up after I got homethis evening, to sort of say we _might_ be around, and I didn't noticeanything out of the way with him then. "

"Is that so?" remarked Fred, as though a little puzzled. Then he added, "Oh! these colds in the head come on with a rush, sometimes. He barkedlike a dog, and I even had to hold the receiver away from my ear. I toldhim he'd give it to me over the wire. But chances are he'll not be in afit state for a twenty-five mile run to-morrow, more's the pity. It'squeer about that heavy cold taking him so sudden, though, come to thinkof it. "

"He wanted you to come over, you say?" continued Colon, as he threw oneof his long legs across the top rail, and prepared to follow Fred, whohad already dropped down on the other side of the fence, and was in thefield that was to be crossed first of all, in following the short-cut tothe Carpenter home. 

"Yes, that was why he called me up, " replied Fred. "And he kept urgingme not to hold off a minute, because he said what he had to tell was soimportant he'd just burst if he held in much longer. And then he wantedto make sure I'd take this path across lots. "

"But why would he say that, Fred?" continued the tall boy, as side byside they started off, with Fred keeping on the path, which could be seenreadily enough in the starlight, once his eyes had become accustomed tothe night. 

"He said, Colon, he was afraid I might try to kill two birds with onestone, and go down-town first, to do some errand, and he just couldn'twait a minute longer than was necessary. "

"Huh! that's funny, " grunted Colon, as though he failed to understandexactly why the said Bristles should have been so very particular. 

They walked along, with Colon clutching the left arm of his chum, for hedepended upon Fred to show the way, not being very familiar with thecrooked path himself. 

They kept on talking as they walked, for there were any amount of thingsthat interested them jointly, from the mystery concerning the actions ofCorny Ludson, to the plans they had in mind concerning the winning of theglorious Marathon. 

Here and there clumps of bushes caused them to turn aside, but that wasthe way the trail ran, very much like what Fred called a "cow-path. "Indeed, it meandered along in a zigzag fashion, though always heading forthe opposite side of the field. 

The two boys were just in the act of passing the densest patch of bushesthat the cow-pasture boasted, when without the slightest warning threefigures suddenly confronted them. They leaped from the covert where theyhad been lying concealed, and, as though all their plans had beenarranged beforehand, two of the figures instantly sprang past, so thatfrom all sides of a triangle Fred and Colon found themselves furiouslyassailed. 

CHAPTER XIV

A PLOT THAT FAILED

Although taken completely by surprise Fred and Colon were not the kind ofboys to flinch, or run from sudden danger. 

They could see that the three fellows who surrounded them were gotten upjust as might have been expected under such circumstances. When men orboys lay out to do a mean thing, they generally try to arrange it so thattheir identity may not be disclosed. These fellows had their hats drawnlow down, their coat collars turned up, and, unless Fred's eyes deceivedhim, they also had handkerchiefs or some other kind of disguise fastenedover the lower part of their faces, just as they may have read ofdesperate footpads doing out West, when holding up stage coaches. 

There was really no time to note anything more. Uttering all sorts ofangry cries in falsetto voices, the assailants bore down upon the twochums. 

"Whoop! give it to 'em, Fred!" cried Colon, his long arms immediatelytaking on the appearance of a couple of old-fashioned flails, such asfarmers used before the time of machine threshers. 

Fred was already busily engaged. A thrill of satisfaction seemed to fillhis boyish heart over the inspiration that had caused him to pick up thatheavy walking-stick before sallying forth to cross over to Bristles'house. 

It was certainly a handy thing to have around just then, with the oddsagainst them, and that whirlwind attack on in full force. 

After Fred had swung his stick a few times, and several loud thumps toldthat it had landed on each occasion, grunts began to change into groans. Of course it hurt, no matter where it landed, and once a fellow ran upagainst such punishment, the chances were he would not feel just the samesavage inclination to press the attack that he had before "taking hismedicine. "

Colon, too, was doing gallant work, though he possessed no club or cane, and had to depend upon his fists alone. He was tall, and had a terrificreach, so that he could land his clever blows without being severelypunished in return. 

One thing the two chums were careful to do, ---not separate. Althoughthey had had no chance to settle on any plan of campaign, they seemed tojust naturally understand that in their case union meant strength. Accordingly they kept back to back, and in that way managed to hold offall assailants. 

Afterwards Colon used to say that their defence had been conducted alongthe famous "hollow square" plan, peculiar to British troops forcenturies, in that they kept their faces to their foes, and their linesintact. 

Of course this sort of vigorous work could not last very long. It wastoo one-sided, with Fred pounding two of the unknown fellows with hisfather's walking-stick, as though that might be the regular mission ofsuch heavy canes. 

There was a final scramble, in which blows were given and taken on bothsides. Then a gruff voice, considerably the worse for wear and lack ofbreath, gasped out:

"Scoot, fellows! it's all off!"

Immediately the three mysterious assailants turned and ran away. Frednoticed with more or less satisfaction that a couple of them seemed towabble considerably, thanks to the whacks he had managed to get in withhis heavy stick. 

"Go it, you cowards!" shouted Colon after them. "For three cents I'dgive chase, and hand you a few more good ones. But unless I miss myguess, one of you'll have a black eye to-morrow, for I plunked youstraight. Whew! I'm out of wind with all that rapid action work, Fred!"

Fred himself was breathing rather hard, because of the way in which hehad been compelled to exert himself in the melee. So neither of themmade the slightest move to advance any further, content to stand there, puffing heavily. 

Then Colon began to chuckle, louder and louder, until he broke out into ahearty laugh, at the same time doubling up like a hinge, after an odd wayhe had. 

"Got 'em going and coming, didn't we, Fred?" he wanted to know, when hismerriment had subsided in some degree. "They caught us napping, that'sright, but say, did it do 'em much good? Not that you could notice. Letme tell you that's a sore lot of fellows to limp all the way home toMechanicsburg to-night. "

"What makes you say that, Colon?"

"About Mechanicsburg, you mean?" remarked the tall boy. "Why what elsewould we think, but that the trick was planned, and carried out by someof that gang of up-river fellows? Haven't we run up against the samelot before, and would you put it past them to try to lame a fellow, so hecouldn't take part in a race, and let their side have a clear field?Huh! easy as falling off a log to see how the ground lies. "

"But Colon, " objected Fred, "remember what Felix Wagner said to us aboutplaying the game fair and square? I don't believe he'd descend to anysuch mean dodge as this, nor most of the other fellows upthere---Sherley, Gould, Hennessy, Boggs and then some. If this was aset-up job, I'd rather believe it originated nearer home thanMechanicsburg. "

"A set-up job!" roared Colon. "You never heard of one with more of theear-marks of a lowdown game than this has. Why, they planned to get youto cross here all by yourself, and then lay you out so you couldn't runfor a month. Didn't I see how they kept kicking at my shins all thetime, and I reckon that's what they did with you. I've a welt on my legright now from a heavy brogan; and I'd like to bet you they put on thatsort of foot-wear so as to make their kicks hurt like fun. "

"Yes, they did seem to keep kicking at me, every chance they found, "admitted Fred, as though partly convinced by the other's argument. 

"See?" flashed Colon. "I told you how it was. They had that all laidout, and after it was carried through you'd be laid up and lame for thewhole of the Spring. When a fellow means to run a twenty-five mile race, he's got to keep in tiptop condition right along, or he'll get soft; andif you couldn't practice every day, why what would be the use of yourstarting in? Five miles would make your ankle so sore you'd have to becarried home on a hayrick. "

"They tried their level best not to give themselves away, " continuedFred. 

"Hardly ever used their voices, ---only when they just had to grunt andgroan, after you touched 'em up with that bully walking-stick. Fred. "

"And, " continued Fred, "they had their hats pulled down over their faces, collars turned up, and some sort of thing over their chins, so their bestfriend wouldn't have recognized one of them. "

"Oh! it certainly was a pretty smart trap, and it failed to work onaccount of a few things the plotters hadn't thought of, " observed Colon, with a vein of satisfaction in his voice. 

"One of which was my great luck in having you along with me, Colon. "

"Oh! I don't know that that counted any to speak of, " objected theother. "Why, when I saw the way you slung about you with thatwalking-stick, Fred, I knew as sure as anything they were in the soup. And chances are, it'd have been just the same if you'd come along here byyourself. The biggest piece of luck you had was when you took thatnotion to carry your dad's heavy cane. "

"Perhaps you're right, Colon, " admitted Fred, as he felt of the heavystick, and then remembered with what a vim he had applied it withoutstint wherever he could get an opening. "And I ought to really thank FloTemple for that, oughtn't I? Only for the way she joked me about needinga crutch or a cane, I'd never have thought of playing it on Bristles. And I want to tell you I'd hate to have this thing laid on me, good andhard. Wherever I struck, it's raised a whopping big welt, I calculate. "

"Well, if you could tell from the way they hollered every time it struck, that goes without saying, " laughed Colon. "And I'll have lots of fun outof this, every time I think of it. Did you hear what that leader saidwhen he knew they'd have to own up beat? 'Scoot, fellows! it's all off!'I guess it was, for if they'd held out much longer, we'd have floored thewhole bunch. "

"I was wondering what his voice sounded like, " said Fred. 

"Oh! I'd take my affidavit that he had a hickory nut in his cheek rightthen, so as to disguise his voice, if he did have to speak any, " Colonwent on to say, and in this way proving that he was ready to give theirunknown assailants credit for utilizing every possible device that wouldinsure the successful carrying out of their miserable scheme. 

"I knew a fellow who did that same thing once upon a time, " Fred hinted. 

"Yes, and it was somebody we happen to know right well, too, " agreedColon; "in other words, Mister Buck Lemington, the clever andunscrupulous son of Sparks Lemington, one of Riverport's leadingcitizens, and a chap who lies awake nights hatching up plans for gettingthe better of a friend of mine. "

"Hold on, Colon, go a little slow about accusing anybody before we've gotthe least bit of evidence. This might be a different crowd. Perhapsit'll turn out they're from Paulding, where I've heard there's a certainsporting element that's taken to betting on baseball games and athleticsand such things, now that horse racing and making pools have been knockedout by law. "

"Shucks! now, I hadn't thought of that before, " assented the tall boy, ina grudging fashion, as though he disliked giving up any cherished ideathat may have seized upon his mind with conviction. "And if they've goneand put up money on Paulding breasting the tape first, why, of coursethey might plot to do something to lame the best runners in Riverport andMechanicsburg. But Fred, in that case they'd be apt to send men here toknock you. These were boys!"

"Yes, that's so, Colon, and it looks like a weak link in the chain, doesn't it? But since the game didn't pan out the way they thought itwould, perhaps these fellows will fight shy of trying anything like itagain. We'll take a look around to-morrow, and see if we can notice anysigns of their being on the hurt list among Buck's crowd. "

"That's the ticket, Fred!" said Colon, jubilant. "That black eye wouldtell the story, wouldn't it, now? And then if Clem Shooks or Oscar Jonesis seen to limp painfully, and grunt every step he takes, that ought tomark him as one of your poor victims. "

"The whole three of them galloped off, didn't they?" asked Fred justthen. 

"I should say they did, and as fast as they could skip. But what makesyou ask that, Fred?"

"I thought I heard a movement in this patch of bushes here, that's all;but it may have been a bird or a rabbit. Shall we start along now, Colon?"

"Just give me half a minute, will you, Fred?" begged the tall chum, whowas fumbling in his vest pocket. 

"What do you want to do?" asked Fred. 

"Oh, strike a match, and take a little peep around, " he was told. "Neverknow what you might strike. Remember picking up a sleeve button once, after I'd been set on by a couple of fellows in the dark; and it gave thegame away. Oh! yes, I returned the button, but my bruises felt a heapbetter after I'd given the fellow a double dose. "

He immediately snapped the match off, and began moving around close tothe bushes. Fred heard him sing out before half a dozen seconds hadpassed. 

"Well, this is great luck, Fred!" Colon exclaimed. "Here I've found ahat trampled in the dirt. Maybe now that will tell the story. Hold it, please, while I strike another match. Let's look inside. What's this Isee? First thing is the well known trademark of our enterprisingRiverport hat dealer. Then here's some initials in gold fixed inside. What d'ye make 'em out to be, Fred?"

CHAPTER XV

CLINCHING EVIDENCE

"As near as I can make out, they're C. J. , " said Fred, after he had takena look, before the match flickered, and went out in the night breeze. 

Colon burst into another laugh. 

"Told you so, Fred!" he remarked, triumphantly. "You don't need to guesstwice to know whom that set belongs to. Let me mention his name toyou---Conrad Jimmerson, and this is what proves it. I'd just keep thatold hat, and make him eat it, if I were you. "

There was another rustling in the bushes, and Fred glanced that way asthough a trifle suspicious, but made no move to investigate. 

"Oh! I don't know that I'll go as far as that, " Fred observed, "because, while a fellow may have to eat crow once in a while, swallowing his ownhat would be asking too much of him. But there's another way to rub itin. "

"How?" asked Colon. 

"Suppose now I took this hat to school Monday, " continued Fred, seriouslyenough, "and told the story of how we were waylaid by three mysteriouschaps, who did their level best to injure us about the shins, and withoutany doubt meaning to knock us out from taking part in the big race?Don't you think nearly everybody would be warm about it?"

"Hot about the collar as they could be, and ready to take it out of thehide of the three guilty ones, if only they knew who they were, " theother boy affirmed in his positive way. 

"Well, I might put this old hat on exhibition, and ask every boy to takea good look at it before seeing the tell-tale initials inside. Then we'dhear what they thought, and if any of them recognized the same. In thatway, Colon, it ought to be easy to run down the rascal. "

"Yes, " added the tall boy, "and once you nailed him, it wouldn't be sohard to make him own up who his cronies were. He's a coward, when youpin him down. I'd dare him to stand up and have it out with me. Thenp'raps it was C. J. Who rammed his old eye so hard against my fist, tryingto feaze me. Oh! the evidence is going to accumulate against him like aregular old mountain. There's that rabbit of yours moving again, Fred. Queer all this row didn't start him off, isn't it?"

"I just happened to think, " remarked Fred, "that we're on a falsemission, after all. "

"Right now, you mean, don't you, Fred?"

"Yes, because it wasn't Bristles at all I was talking with, but one ofthis same crowd. No wonder his voice sounded so queer to me, andmuffled. " Then Fred had to laugh, after which he went on to say, "And tothink how sly he was making out the cause of it to be that sudden coldhe'd taken. "

"That was a mighty clever dodge, let me tell you, " Colon went on to say. "You see, he knew you'd notice the difference in voices, for even overthe wire it's easy to recognize a friend's way of speaking; so he fixedit up, with a nut in his cheek, and then told you about the cold. "

"And that cough, why, I tell you it was splendidly worked, and whoevercarried it out was a sharp one, Colon. "

"However do you guess it was done?" asked the tall chum. 

"Well, there must have been a fourth member of the gang, who had his partof the game to play. Chances were he was to go into some place downtownwhere they have a public 'phone booth, at exactly eight o'clock, and callme up. The other three were to be hiding here before that time, waitingfor me to cross over. And I must say it worked out to a charm---only forthe walking-stick, and you, Colon. They didn't figure on my receivingsuch important reinforcements at the eleventh hour, as to turn the tideof battle. "

"Talk to me about Blucher coming up to help Wellington at Waterloo, youwere in just as good luck to-night. And the French didn't feel any moresore when they had to run, than Buck and his pals do right now. I'd givethirty cents to see what the lot of them are doing this very minute;rubbing their bodies, and saying everything mean about us they can thinkof. Ho! ho! ho!"

Colon seemed to extract a considerable amount of amusement out of thisunexpected happening. He evidently considered that he had been in formore or less luck simply because he happened to be in Fred's company whenthe other ran into the ambuscade. Colon was not averse to an occasionalmeasure of excitement, and although not all considered a pugnaciousfellow, he could at the same time hold his own when difficulties arose. 

"Of course, " pursued Fred, "if I thought it worth while I could easilyfind out who sent that message to me, and played the part of Bristles. "

"You mean by going to telephone headquarters, and learning who connectedwith your number tonight about eight; is that it, Fred?"

"And after they had told me it was, say, Dudley's drug store, " Fredcontinued, as if figuring it all out, "I could step in there and askGussie Lightly what boy used the booth about that time. "

"Easy enough, because of course Gussie knows all the boys about town, andif it was Ben Cushing or Clem Shooks or Oscar Jones, he could tell youright off the reel. Why don't you do it, Fred?"

"I may when I get home, because it can all be done just as well over thewire you know, " the other replied. "Gussie is a good friend of mine, Ifeel sure, and if only he knew what a mean game had been set up on me, he'd do anything to square matters. "

"And at school Monday, " Colon suggested, "it might be a good thing foryou to be able to prove it was one of Buck's cronies that talked withyou, making out to be Bristles, who hasn't any cold at all. "

"I'm glad of that, too, " Fred observed, "because I was feeling that hecouldn't go along with us tomorrow on the trial spin. "

"It was a dirty trick, Fred, but I must say pretty well worked out. Ican see the fine hand of our old friend, Buck, back of it all. Thereisn't another fellow in all Riverport who could get up such acombination. Buck's as full of schemes as an egg is of meat. That's whythe others all flock after him. He's got the brains, and carries themoney too. "

"Now, while it seems that Bristles didn't call me up, and beg me to comeover, as we're already part way there, we might as well finish the lap, Colon. "

"Oh! you know I gave him to understand that maybe we might run in onhim, " he was told by the other. 

"But it's too bad, " remarked Fred, grinning broadly. 

"About what?" demanded his friend. 

"We're going to be badly disappointed, I'm afraid. "

"We are, eh? I'd like to know how that comes, Fred?"

"Why, we laid out to hear the most thrilling thing that ever happened, you see, " the other told him, in a voice of mock disappointment. "WhenBristles with the muffled voice and the bad cold told me he'd just burstif he didn't have someone to confide in right soon, he got me worked upto fever pitch. Now I've had to cool down. There isn't going to be anydevelopment. Our hair won't have to stand tip on end like the quills ofthe fretful porcupine. In so many words, Colon, it's all off, you know. "

"I'm afraid it is, Fred, " admitted the other, sadly, "and I'm somedisappointed, too, because you had my curiosity whetted up. Why, Icouldn't begin to tell you all I expected to hear when Bristles got busy. Course, knowing about that Corny as you did, it was easy to figure outhow he might be the one Bristles meant to tell about. Well, that endsit, and Fred, hadn't we better be hunching out of this, if you thinkthere's no more hats or other trophies of the great victory lyingaround?"

"Yes, we'll be over at Bristles' place inside of five minutes more, " Fredannounced. 

"If he happened to have his window open I wouldn't be surprised if heheard us carrying on high over here in the field, " suggested Colon, andthere was an air of expectancy in his voice, as though such a thing wouldnot have been at all unpleasant to him. 

"One thing sure, " Fred asserted, confidently, "he'll kick up an awful rowjust because he didn't happen to be in the little affair. Bristles neverwants anyone to get ahead of him, when there's action stirring. "

"No more he does, " Colon echoed. "Here, suppose you keep this old hat. I'm given to being careless, and I'd be apt to drop it somewhere. Nodanger of you doing that, Fred; you're always as particular about suchthings as an old maid. "

"You can make your mind tip that when the evidence is needed to show upthe owner of this hat at school, it will be forthcoming. I'll take ithome with me, and keep it safe and sound. "

The two boys were already moving off, heading across the field. Theycould easily see the lights in the Carpenter house, which was only ashort distance away, though if one went around by the road it would takesome fifteen minutes to make the journey. 

They did not bother to look back after they had quitted the vicinity ofthe big cluster of bushes. Had they done so, and the starlight beenstrong enough for them to see as a cat does at nighttime, Fred and Colonmight have discovered a bare-headed figure that came creeping out of thebushes. This wretched person looked after them with more or lessgrumbling and complaining, as though not at all relishing some of thethings so recently spoken by the two chums. 

CHAPTER XVI

TELLING BRISTLES

"Hello there, Fred, and you too, Colon; glad to see you both! Step in, and come upstairs with me to my den, won't you?"

In this fashion did Bristles meet the two visitors at the front door, andconvinced by the warmth of the reception that they were going to bewelcome guests, Fred and the tall boy fell in behind the one who hadadmitted them. Presently they found themselves comfortably seated insuch chairs as decorated the so-called "den, " which was a small room onthe top story, where Bristles kept his belongings and did his studying. 

"Glad to see your bad cold is a lot better, Bristles!" remarked Colon, with a sly wink over toward Fred, who chuckled. 

Bristles of course looked puzzled. 

"I suppose that's, some sort of a poor joke, " he ventured, cautiously, glancing from one to the other of his visitors; "but me, I'm groping allaround in the dark, and don't seem to catch on. S'pose you open up, andexplain how it works, Colon. "

The tall boy allowed his eyebrows to go up as though tremendouslysurprised. 

"Do you mean to tell me, Bristles Carpenter, that you didn't call upFred, here, a little while back, and while begging him to hurry over, asyou had something important to explain, say you'd taken such a cold youcould hardly speak plain?"

"What, me? Say, you're dreaming, Colon. I never said a word of that, and right now I haven't got the least bit of a cold!" exclaimed theother, indignantly. At the same time he began to show a certain amountof curiosity, for his good sense warned him there must be a story back ofColon's strange accusation. 

"And you didn't interrupt yourself several times to say, 'Oh! excuse me, while I cough!' and then start in whooping it up so hard Fred here had totake the receiver down from his ear or go deaf?"

"Oh! Come off, and tell me what all this silly stuff means!" demandedthe still more mystified boy. "Has anybody been playing a rousing goodjoke on Fred, and making out to be me?"

"That's about the size of it, isn't it, Fred, " Colon assented, eagerlyenough. "It was a rousing enough joke, while it lasted, but the troubleis that it turned out to be one of those back-action, kicking jokes, thatturns on the jokers, unexpected like. This one left a black eye, and awhole lot of black and blue marks behind it---that is, we believe so, andhave a pretty good reason, too. "

"All right, now tell me what it all means, please, " Bristles pleaded, seeing that the tall chum was really in earnest. 

Colon explained, and as he finished, the astonished listener demanded:

"But what d'ye reckon it all means?"

"Both of us noticed that their main plan seemed to be to kick at ourshins every chance they got, " explained Fred, "and Colon says they hadheavy brogans on, too. It's a hard thing to say, Bristles, but wehonestly believe they meant to lame us, so we couldn't be in shape to runto-morrow, and perhaps at the time of the great Marathon, too. "

Bristles clenched his hands, and looked savage. 

"Well, what d'ye think of that now for a savage trick?" he exclaimed. "Iwouldn't believe it of those Mechanicsburg athletes, who've always seemeda pretty decent bunch of fellows. "

"Hold on, " said Fred. "Go a little slow, Bristles. "

"What for?" demanded the other, impetuously and fiercely. 

"Because you're making the same mistake Colon here did at first, " he wastold. 

"About the boys up the river, you mean, Fred?"

"Yes. It isn't fair to accuse them without any proof, " the other toldhim. 

"But the Paulding crowd---" stammered Bristles, evidently taken aback. 

"Get closer home, " warned Colon. "What d'ye want to go climbing all overthe country for, when you've only got to use your nose to smell a ratright in old Riverport!"

"Jupiter Pluvius! you must mean our old friend, Buck!" ejaculatedBristles, his elevated eyebrows indicating his astonishment. "Tell meabout that, will you? Has he actually come to life again, and been up tohis old tricks?"

"We're dead sure of it, " Colon told him, nodding his head at a livelyrate. 

"Then chances are you recognized one of the bunch?" suggested Bristles. 

"No, " said Fred, "we couldn't do that very well, because they changedtheir voices, and had their faces hidden by their hats, coat collars, andeven some sort of cloth that seemed to be tied about their jaws. Butafter the scrap was over, we picked up a clue that we think will give thegame away. "

"What, Fred?"

"Take a look at this old hat, Bristles, " continued the other, as he drewthe article in question from his pocket. 

"Well, I'm looking at it, " he was told. 

"Ever see it before?" asked Colon, eagerly. 

"Of course I wouldn't like to raise my hand, and swear to it, " remarkedBristles, slowly, "but I want to say this looks mighty like ayellow-colored hat I've seen a certain fellow wear, time and again. "

"Suppose you go a little further, then, and mention his name, " proposedFred. 

"Conrad Jimmerson!" promptly replied the other. 

Colon laughed gleefully. 

"Now turn the hat around, Bristles, " he cried, "and look inside!"

Upon doing so the other uttered an exclamation. 

"Here they are, two letters that give the thing away---C. J. As plain asprint could be!" was his cry. 

"Glad that you think the same way we do, " Colon told him. "And now, Ireckon you wonder what Fred's going to do about it. "

"If it were myself, I'd take this hat to Cooney, and ask him if it washis, " Bristles went on to say, in his fiery fashion. "Course he'd haveto acknowledge the corn, and then I'd proceed to give him the licking hedeserves. "

"We'd kind of expect that of you, Bristles, " remarked Colon, magnanimously, "but you see, Fred'n me, we made up our minds that we'dgiven that bunch a pretty good layout as it was. What they need issomething to show the people of this town what a tough lot that BuckLemington is dragging around with him. "

"But how could you do that?" the other asked. 

"Fred thought of taking the hat to school, and telling the story around, to the teachers and the pupils, " Colon explained, in his accommodatingway. "When they learned how these toughs meant to injure Riverport'schances of winning the great Marathon, just to gratify a little privatespite, the town would soon get too hot for Buck and his cronies. They'dhave to emigrate for a little while, till the storm blew over. "

"That sounds good to me!" declared Bristles, changing his way ofthinking, for while a very determined boy, he could always be reached byargument, and was open to conviction, "and I hope you carry the planout, Fred. I'd just like to see those boys put under the ban for awhile. Some of them by rights ought to be in the State Reformatory, according to my notion. They're getting too fresh with what they calltheir pranks, and don't even stop at endangering human life. "

"Well, of course we're glad that you haven't such a terrible cold, Bristles, " remarked Fred, "but all the same Colon here is sorry for onething. "

"What might that be?" asked the said Colon. 

"You see, " continued Fred, "after I told him about how you called me up, and wanted an interview right away, because you had something importantto tell, Colon here began to get terribly excited. He kept wonderingwhat it was you meant to explain; and I know that after we'd run thatmob off, nearly the first thing he said was that he felt cheated out of asensation, because you didn't want me so bad after all. "

At that Bristles laughed loud and long, at the same time looking queerlyat his guests out of the tail of his eye. 

"Too bad to disappoint you, isn't it, fellows?" he went on, in a tone ofmock sympathy, "but say, maybe I might scare up some little news afterall, that'd kind of take the place of the thrilling story they hatched upfor me. "

"Let it be on the strict level then, Bristles, " warned Colon, severely, as he shook his forefinger at the other; "we don't want you to invent anyold yarn just to please us. "

"What I'm going to tell you, " began Bristles, very solemnly, "is straightgoods, believe me. I don't know whether Fred here will think it of muchimportance, but late this afternoon I chanced to run across an oldacquaintance. Guess who it was, boys. "

"Huh! I bet you it was Corny Ludson!" exclaimed Colon, quick as a flash. 

Bristles started, and looked keenly at the long-legged chum. 

"Well, you hit mighty close to the bull's-eye, then, Colon, " he remarked;"but you forget I never saw that same Corny Ludson in my life that I knowof, and so how could he be an old acquaintance. But he's got a littlegirl named Sadie, a niece, or ward, or something like that, you mayremember. "

"Then you saw her?" asked Fred, eagerly enough, for he had been wonderinglately what could have become of those two children. 

"Not only saw her, " continued the other, "but talked with her. "

"Tell us about it, Bristles, " urged Colon. 

"Why, it was this way, " began the other, complying briskly. "She wasjust coming out of the cheap grocery, and had several bundles in herarms, as if she might have been buying bread, and some such things. Iknew her just as soon as I set eyes on her, for she wore that same oldfrowsy red dress, and had a little tad of a shawl pinned over hershoulders. The poor thing looked like a wind'd blow her away, with herthin, pinched face, and big startled eyes. "

"Oh! let all that drop, Bristles, " expostulated Colon. "What we want toknow is, how did you come to speak to her, and did she remember you?"

Bristles was bound to tell his story in his own way. Without paying anyattention to this nagging on the part of the tall chum, he kept facingFred, and went on deliberately. 

"There was a horse and buggy standing at the curb, and say, you never inall your life saw such a dilapidated outfit. Talk to me about the famous'one hoss shay, ' it couldn't have been a circumstance beside that rig. Everywhere the shafts were tied up to hold, the harness patched till itlooked all strings, and the animal, well, he was a walking skeleton. Anyother time I'd have laughed myself sick, but I couldn't do that then, with that poor little thing being the one that drove such an outfit. "

"What did you say to her?" asked Fred. 

"Oh! I said 'howdy-do, Sadie, don't you remember me?' and she lookedscared at first, and then she actually smiled. She said she hadn'tforgotten the two boys on the river, who had been so kind to Sam and her. I asked her where she'd been all this time, and she looked kind ofconfused and said, 'Oh! around everywhere!' as if they might be a packof regular Gypsies, and never knew what it was to have a home of theirown. "

"But you say she had some sort of a rig with her, " expostulated Colon atthis point of the narrative, "and wouldn't that look as if they'dsquatted down somewhere or other, for a spell?"

"Maybe it would, " replied Bristles, "but the chances are they onlyborrowed the outfit for the occasion from some poor farmer, paying forits use by fetching him home some supplies from town. But just then Iremembered about that pin we found in the cave, and I took it out of mypocket, unwrapping the paper, and all of a sudden holding it before her. "

"Did she recognize the breast pin?" Colon asked. 

"You'd have thought so by the way her little face lighted up, " said theother, "and reaching out the hand that didn't carry a package, she tookbold of it. Then I made a fool move, just like my silly ways. I sprungthe trap too soon!"

"You told her where you'd found it, said you thought it might be hers, just because you remembered her wearing something like that, didn't you?"asked Fred. 

"Sure I did, and you just ought to have seen the scared look that cameover her face, " Bristles admitted. "She looked all around as if she wasafraid that Corny'd be popping up, and then shook her head again andagain, saying the pin wasn't hers. But, Fred, I know the poor littlegirl was telling a fib, because she was afraid if she owned up to the oldpiece of fake jewelry that she seemed to value so much, it might getsomebody in a peck of trouble; and we know who that is, don't we?"

"We certainly do!" replied Fred; and he started to tell Bristles howColon learned Corny Ludson had also been in Riverport that afternoon, acting in a suspicious manner. 

CHAPTER XVII

LINING UP FOR THE TRIAL SPIN

The next morning opened cloudy, and rather warm for the season, much tothe regret of all those fellows who had planned to take a spin over thetwenty-five mile course laid out by the committee of arrangements. 

So long as it did not rain, they were not to be kept from carrying outtheir ambitious plans. About eight o'clock Bristles and Colon, standingin front of the picket fence that divided the Carpenter garden from theroad, saw Fred coming up the street. 

"There's Fred, " announced Colon, "and I hope Sid shows up soon, becausewe'd better be making an early start. "

The way in which he looked up at the sky when saying this caused Bristlesto instantly remark:

"Now, I reckon you're thinking it's going to rain on us before we getback home again. That left leg of yours that you got hurt once, is aregular old barometer, it seems, Colon. "

"I don't know just how it comes, " admitted the other, "but nearly everytime it gets to itching and burning, we do have a spell of bad weather. Over at my house when they see me rubbing that leg, they begin to hunt uprubbers and raincoats to beat the band. It's gotten to be next door toinfallible, dad says. "

"All right, we'll forgive you if you do bring a dash of rain to-day, "warned the other, "but be mighty careful how you let that leg get toitching toward the end of next week. Why, a rain'd play the dickens withall our plans for that glorious long run. "

"You don't smash a thermometer every time it tells you how hot or cold itis, do you?" demanded Colon. "Then why d'ye want to blame things on myleg barometer? Just as if it had anything to do with the weather, 'ceptto warn you ahead. Seems to me I ought to have a gold medal, instead ofabuse. But here's Fred, and looking as if he was in apple pie trim formaking the grand rounds to-day. "

Of course all of them were in their running outfits, which consisted oftrunks, sleeveless jerseys, shoes with spikes in the soles, and an excuseof a hat, though Bristles declined to wear anything on his mop of hair. 

"All here but Sid, now, Fred, " announced Colon, as the other joined them. 

"We're a little ahead of the time that was set, " remarked Fred, whoseemed to be unusually sober it appeared to the sharp-eyed Colon, "andSid will be along soon. I saw him heading for town, and he called acrosslots that he had a little errand, but would join us as soon as he couldget back home, and pile into his running togs. Let's sit down somewhere, and take it easy, boys. "

"A good idea, too, " commented Bristles, "because, with a twenty-five milerun before us, we'll have all the standing on our feet we want. Chancesare it'll be a pretty tired bunch of boys that'll turn up here some hoursfrom now. "

They found a place to settle down, and after a little talk about theweather, during which Colon was called upon to once more prophesy as tothe chances for rain, he suddenly turned to Fred, to say:

"What's bothering you this morning, Fred?"

"Why do you ask me that?" returned the other, with a little smile. 

"Well, " Colon continued, "I'm used to watching faces, and it struck mewhen you came up, there was a worried look on your face. Hope you're notfeeling anyway off?"

"Never felt in better condition in my life, " Fred assured him. "One ortwo little bruises from that business of last night, but nothing tomention, and I don't expect to even think of them again. "

"What happened, then?" asked Bristles. 

"Only that our house was entered last night!" Fred observed, calmly. 

The other boys gave expression to their astonishment in variousexclamations. 

"Burglarized, you mean, Fred?" cried Colon. 

"Well, yes, I guess you might call it that, though it seems only oneparticular thing was carried off, " Fred replied. 

"You've got us guessing good and hard, " said Bristles. "Was that yourdad's pocketbook, his watch, the piano, or what could it be?"

"A hat, " explained Fred. 

Bristles and Colon fairly gasped upon hearing this. 

"D'ye mean to tell us, Fred, that a desperate burglar would take all thechances of breaking into a house where he might get shot, just to steal ahat!" Colon demanded, as though suspecting they were being made thevictims of a joke, although as a rule Fred seldom allowed himself toattempt anything of the kind. 

"Sometimes even a hat may be a mighty important thing, if you stop tothink of it, fellows, " he informed them. 

"Great smoke! Fred, do you mean that hat?" exclaimed Bristles, suddenlyremembering something. 

"The one we picked up on the battlefield!" added Colon, helplessly. 

"That's the one I mean, " they were told by the other, with a positivetone that could not be mistaken. "When I got home I tossed it onto thehall table. It wasn't there this morning, and I asked the girl, andeveryone about the house if they'd seen it, but nobody had. And what wasplain evidence of a robbery was the fact that a window was found open inthe sitting-room, which my dad says he is sure he shut and locked beforehe went to bed. "

"It was Cooney Jimmerson, of course?" suggested Colon. 

"He's always been too clever with his fingers, " Bristles gave as hisopinion. "Maybe you remember, Colon, because it was before Fred's timehere, how Cooney used to sneak into the coat-rooms at school, and gothrough the pockets of our reefers looking for pennies or tops or any oldthing. He got in a peck of trouble on account of his sly tricks. Ifanybody could turn the catch of a window, and crawl in, I'd put it up tohim. "

"But Fred, how would he know you'd found his old hat?" asked Colon. 

"We'll have to guess at that, " he was told. "Look back, Colon, andyou'll be likely to remember that several times we heard a rustling soundin that clump of bushes, while we were standing there talking, afterfinding the hat. "

"Yes, and you thought it might be only a rabbit, or a chipmunk, orsomething like that, " assented Colon, promptly. 

"Now that the hat we were keeping as evidence has been stolen from myhouse, " Fred continued, "I'm more than sure that must have been Cooneyhimself. He'd missed his hat, and afraid that we might find it, he camecreeping back to get into that bunch of brush, where he could hear everyword we spoke. So he knew I was keeping his hat to prove who was in thecrowd that tackled us unawares. "

"He just knew that if his hat were ever shown, he'd be in the soup, "observed Colon, "so he thought it worth while to take all kinds ofchances in the hope of copping it again. But let me tell you, the boywho'd open a window, and creep into a neighbor's house night times, ispretty close to the line. He's on the road to being a regularprofessional thief when he grows up, because it shows he likes that sortof thing. "

"You know they say, 'as the twig's inclined, the tree is bent, '" Bristlestold them, ponderously, "and we all can guess what'll become of BuckLemington some day. He'll either make a striking figure in finance, orelse head some big swindle that'll send him up for twenty years. "

"But with the evidence gone, " Colon remarked, "of course that ends theplan to show Cooney up at school?"

"Yes, and that was what he took such big chances for, " Fred admitted. "We might tell the whole story, but without any positive evidence therewould always seem to be a weak link in it. Some folks might even say wewere prejudiced. They'd rather believe the attack came from one of theother towns. People always like to believe bad things about rival placesrather than the home town. So we'd better shut down on that hat part ofthe story, and keep it quiet. "

"Course it doesn't matter if we let it be known we were set upon, only wemustn't say we suspect any particular boys, " Colon went on to remark, with a little confusion that told Fred he must have already been tellingsomething about the encounter, though not mentioning names. 

"Call that settled, then, " Bristles added, "but it's too bad, when youhad the case framed up against Cooney for fair and keeps. He'd havefound himself the most unpopular fellow in Riverport, that's, right. "

"The main thing with me, " Fred explained, "was the hope that wheneverybody got to pointing the finger of scorn at Cooney, he'd feel somean and small that, not wanting to stand for all the abuse alone, he'dup and confess that it was Buck who had started the racket. But as ourplans have missed fire, we'll have to forget all about it. We've got ourhands full as it is with this race, and getting ready to do our levelbest to win. "

"I think I see Sid coming, " Colon told them just then, and as he had anadvantage over the rest by reason of his long neck, nobody disputed hisword. 

"We haven't forgotten anything, I hope?" Bristles observed, as theyarose to their feet, and began to stretch themselves, boy fashion. 

Fred carried a little pouch at his side that he did not believe wouldinterfere at all with his running, though of course even this would bediscarded when the great Marathon test was on. In this he carriedmatches, a small but reliable compass, and a few simple remedies thatmight come in handy in case any of them happened to be seized with colicor cramps from drinking water when overheated. 

"Nothing that I know of, Bristles, " Fred announced, as he touched thissmall pouch which, in the woods among old hunters would probably becalled a "ditty-bag, " and contain all manner of little odds and endslikely to be needed from time to time. 

Sid was now running. The mere fact that he might be a little behind timewould hardly seem to be sufficient excuse for his starting off in thisway. Fred eyed the newcomer as he approached them. He fancied that Sidwas bringing news of some kind. 

Sid was breathing a little fast. That was to be expected in the start, though when he got his "second wind" he would very likely be good for along, hard run. 

"Give me five minutes, fellows, to rest up in, so we can all start even, "Sid went on to say, "and besides, I've got something to tell you. "

All of them dropped down again on the fresh green grass that the recentwarm weather had caused to sprout forth luxuriantly in places. 

"We're listening, " Bristles told him, placing the cup of a hand back ofhis ear, as though he wanted to make sure of not losing a single word, while Colon assumed an eager attitude, with his eyes glued on Sid'sflushed face. 

"None of you happened to go down-town this morning, I reckon?" was thefirst thing Sid said, and as three heads were vehemently shaken in thenegative, he continued, "Well, then it'll give you something of asurprise to know that it's happened again. "

"Not a fire in the high school?" exclaimed Colon, for a serious event ofthis kind had taken place in the near past, that had created something ofa panic in Riverport. 

Sid shook his head in the negative. 

"This was a robbery, " he went on to say, in a way that gave the otherthree a severe shock; "just as when old Periwinkle was robbed. This timeit was Mrs. Merriweather, the rich widow, who owns so many houses, andgets her rents in on the first. Somebody broke in there, and she neverknew till this morning that her desk had been pried open, and threehundred dollars taken!"

CHAPTER XVIII

CAUGHT BY THE STORM

"That settles it, boys!" said Fred, compressing his lips. 

"Some more of Corny's smart work, I guess you mean?" ventured Bristles. 

"Well, we happen to know he was in town again yesterday afternoon, andputting things together, it looks bad for Corny, " Fred explained. 

"And I take it you mean to do what you said, " Colon remarked; "that is, you promised us if there was another robbery, and that man was seenaround, you'd tell everything to Chief Sutton and let him start a hunt tofind Corny? Have I got it straight, Fred?"

"You certainly have, Colon, and that ought to be attended to before westart out on our run, " Fred continued. 

"Sure thing, because when a fellow has broken open a house and taken asmuch as three hundred dollars in cash, he's likely to get busy rightaway, and hide somewhere. That other time it was in a cave, and nowCorny may have another secret den. It'll be up to the Chief to locatehim. "

"But I say, Fred, I hope now this won't interfere any with our plansto-day?" expostulated Bristles, while both Sid and Colon immediatelylooked anxious. 

"Only to hold us back ten minutes or so, " Fred told them. 

"You won't bother going to town, and seeing the Chief personally, willyou, Fred, when we've got a 'phone handy right here?" demanded theCarpenter boy, starting in the direction of the front gate close by. Theothers followed. 

"I could answer all the questions he'll want to ask, over the wire justas well as if I were down at headquarters, " Fred announced, at which anexpression of relief was seen to sweep over three eager faces. 

Fortunately the head of the local force was at his desk, engaged in hiscustomary morning duties. Fred lost no time in getting down to facts, and from what the other boys, listening close by, heard him say, hisastonishing communication must have created quite a lively panic atheadquarters. 

For some time after telling what they had learned when passing throughthat particular stretch of woods the week before, Fred was kept busyanswering questions. He explained just why they had seen fit not tomention the matter before, and the reason that ban of secrecy was nowremoved. 

When finally Fred hung up the receiver, and turned around with a smile onhis face, as though perfectly satisfied with what he had done, not morethan ten minutes had elapsed since their entering the house. 

"Thank goodness that business is over with, " he remarked, "and now it'sup to the police to find the thief, ---if they can. "

"Huh! my opinion is that this same Corny is a heap too smart to be nabbedby a country cop, " asserted Colon, and Chief Sutton, who was a veryconsequential little officer, would have felt terribly hurt could he haveheard the disdainful laugh that went around at these scornful words. 

"But let's be making a start!" begged Colon, anxious to be up and doing, for he had told the others he felt like a wild colt that morning, beingfairly crazy to get to running. 

In five minutes they were far beyond the town limits, running two and twoalong the road, and taking things fairly easily in the start. 

A wise athlete never pushes a willing horse to begin with. After gettingwell warmed up, it is safe to increase the pace, always holding in thevery best for the emergency that is apt to come in every race, some timeor other. 

Several miles were soon put behind them. Fred and Colon led, with theother two at their heels, and all running easily. Indeed, though it isnot considered the best thing to do when running, the two leadersoccasionally exchanged a few words, cutting their sentences down to asbrief a span as possible. As a rule they maintained silence, each havinghis teeth set, and breathing through his nose as much as he possiblycould. 

These lads had learned all the known rules affecting long distancerunning, and they had also found more or less benefit from practicingthem. Time did not enter into their calculations on this occasion, toany great extent at least. Of course they sprinted occasionally, and theminutes were noted at such times in an effort to learn a little about theprobable period between certain points, where they figured on makingtheir gains. 

Possibly of the four Bristles showed more signs of being pressed than anyof them. He had always been a short distance runner, like Felix Wagnerof Mechanicsburg, but this year both boys hoped to break into the longdistance class. Neither Bristles nor Sid happened to be built just rightfor such a task. On the other hand, Colon was long and rangy, andcapable of tremendous speed, while Fred had the staying qualities sonecessary in Marathon runners. 

As a rule it will be found that the best long distance runners are thestocky, small men, like the wonderful Englishman, Shrubb, who astonishedeverybody in our own country by his great record some years back. Whilehardly reckoned small, Fred Fenton was in just that same class, for hismuscles were as hard as they could possibly be, and he always kepthimself in prime condition for work. 

When, after a certain length of time, the four boys arrived at the birchtrees by which Fred had marked the place where they could turn into thewoods in attempting that short-cut, they had seen no other competitor onthe road. No doubt at some time during the day all of those who meant totake part in the great run expected to cover the whole course, so as toget familiar with its peculiarities, but Fred and his mates were just aswell pleased not to run across any of them thus early in the morning. 

"Now, here's where we want to keep our eyes about us, " remarked Fred, "soas to know the trail by heart. All of us but Sid have already beenacross to the other road, but on that account don't think you know itall. Observe everything around, and make a mental map of the course. It'll be a great help, I tell you. "

"Point out the blazes you were speaking about, so I can watch for them, "Sid asked them, as they stood there in a bunch, breathing hard, andcooling off, for it had been a warm run, and the atmosphere feltunusually heavy. 

"There's one good thing, " Fred went on to say, "we don't have to pay anyattention to the other side of the trail. What I mean by that is this:lots of fellows can take notice of how a trail looks, and think they'vegot it down pat in their minds, but let them start back over it, and thelandmarks will never be the same, so it's the easiest thing going to getlost on the return trip, where the blazes you made fail to show. Ithappens that we have to pass through here only one way. "

"Great Caesar! wasn't that a growl of thunder?" cried Colon in dismay. 

"Nothing more nor less than that, " replied Fred, "and if thunder standsfor anything, we're going to get that rain after all. "

"Shucks! why couldn't the measly old storm have held off till we reachedhome?" Bristles wanted to know. "Here we are more'n ten miles away fromtown, and dressed in the airiest duds going. If we get soaked, we'll beshivering like fun. "

"What's the answer, Fred? Tell us your opinion, and whether we'd betterturn back, or try to push on through this neck of woodland and marsh?"When he put this question, Colon betrayed a trace of uneasiness, for theprospect was not a very pleasant one, no matter how they looked at it. 

"There's no use turning back, " the leader explained, "because the nearesthouse would be several miles away. I don't know just how it might be ifwe kept along the road here. But there's that tollgate and shanty on theother road; if we could only make that, we'd find shelter. "

"Move we try, " snapped Bristles, who was for action all the time, andliked to settle questions as Alexander is said to have cut the Gordianknot, decisive work, rather than sitting down to unravel problems. 

There being not a single dissenting voice raised, the proposition wasdeclared carried, and with that the four runners plunged immediately intothe heavy undergrowth alongside the road. 

Fred used his eyes and his memory to advantage. He knew that it wouldnot do to make any mistake, and be lost in that jungle. With a stormcoming on, the fierceness of which none of them could more than guess, the one thing they must make sure of above all others was to stick to thetrail through thick and thin. 

"Say, it's beginning to rain!" called out Bristles, from the far rear, Sid being just in front of him, and Colon back of the leader's heels. 

"What makes you say that?" asked Colon, who did not like to be told of sodisagreeable a fact. 

"Felt a drop on my face, " Bristles explained, "and you could too, if youtried. There! that was another! It is starting in, boys, believe me!"

"He's right about that, " Fred called back over his shoulder. 

They could run only a small fraction of the time while threading thewinding trail through the woods, so that hurrying was utterly out of thequestion. Thunder had been heard several additional times, and it seemedto be coming closer, if its increasing rumble counted for anything. 

The drops began to fall faster and faster, and it became evident that ina few minutes they could expect a downpour. 

"One good thing, " said the cheerful Sid, "we won't be apt to ruin ourbest Sunday go-to-meeting glad rags by getting them soaked. "

"Good for you, Sid!" called out Fred, "always seeing the silver lining ofthe cloud, no matter how dark it grows. Whew! that was close by, " headded, as a loud crash of thunder sounded. 

The rain fell in sheets for a short time; then the thunder died away, though there was no let-up to the fall of water. 

"I think we're close to that poor farm, " was the announcement Fred made, as he noticed several landmarks that he remembered well. 

"Bless you, Fred, for saying that!" cried Colon, "because I'm shiveringas if I'd drop to pieces. What do I see over there on the left rightnow?"

"It's the old rookery of a barn!" Fred told him. "Come on, we'll crawlin, for it's perfectly safe, now that the lightning has gone. Bybunching together under the hay, we'll warm each other, more or less, while we wait for the rain to stop. "

They saw no sign of anyone around, and as their necessity was very great, the four thinly clad and shivering runners crept under the hay, wherethey huddled together as Fred had advised. 

CHAPTER XIX

THE BOY IN THE HAYMOW

"This is a whole lot better than out there in the downpour, " Colon washeard to say, after they had been cowering in the hay for a short time, keeping as close to one another as they could so as to gain additionalwarmth. 

"I should say it was, " acknowledged Sid, "and Bristles here is a regulartoaster in the bargain. He's as snug and warm as a stove. I'd like tocome over and bunk with you, Bristles, some of the coldest winternights. "

"Any boy ought to be warm that's got a decent amount of flesh on him!"declared the one in question; "now, here's Colon who's so thin he hardlythrows a shadow at noon; you couldn't expect him to do anything butshake. "

"I'd hate to try to sleep in this old place nights, " observed Colon, whohad been thinking of other things, it seemed, than warmth. "Chances areshe's plum full of rats and mice. If you listen real hard, you'll hear'em carrying on right now, squealin' and squawkin' like. "

Accordingly all of them now turned their attention to listening, thisavowal on the part of Colon having aroused their curiosity. 

"There!" cried the tall boy triumphantly, "didn't you get it that time;and wasn't that a plain rat gurgle, though? They c'n make the queerestnoises, seems like, when they want to. "

Fred started to move. 

"That was no rat, boys, " he remarked, in a tone of conviction. 

"Wasn't, eh?" exclaimed Colon; "then what'd you call it, Fred?"

"A groan!" replied the other, immediately, at which the others began tosit up, and in various ways denote newly aroused interest. 

"A groan, Fred!" echoed Sid. 

"Do you mean a human groan?" demanded Bristles. 

"There it is again, " Fred told them; "if you pay attention, you'll soonsay what I do---that it is a human groan. "

"But whoever would be grunting like that in this old rookery, I'd like toknow?" Bristles continued as though unable to fully grasp the idea. 

"For my part, " said Fred, bluntly, "I can't explain it. How about you, Colon?"

"Yes, how is that, Colon?" Bristles hastened to add, as if to lendweight to the sudden demand. 

"Me? What should I know about a groan, except that I happened to be thefirst one to notice the same, and thought it was rats fighting?" Colonexpostulated. 

"Well, for one thing, " Fred told him, "we happen to know that some timeago you had a strong notion you could throw your voice, like the fellowon the stage who makes the dummies in the trunk talk, and say funnythings. And it struck me that perhaps you might be trying it out on thedog, meaning your good and faithful chums. "

That aroused Colon as few other things might have done. 

"Give you my word of honor, Fred, I never thought of such a thing, " hesaid, in the most tragic of ways. "You c'n put your ear close to mymouth, and wait till it sounds again, when you'll find I haven't got anyhand in that grunting. Maybe it's a poor pig that's half drowned by therain coming into its pen near by. "

"I know how hogs grunt, " Fred told him, "and it wasn't along that line atall. This must be a human being in pain!"

"Whew! if we don't just strike queer happenings wherever we go!" declaredBristles, though from his wide-awake manner it was evident that he didnot feel at all averse to these lively episodes coming right along, butrather enjoyed the excitement they brought in their train. 

"We ought to do something, oughtn't we, Fred?" asked Sid. "If it didturn out there was a sick man in this old shook, and we learned laterthat he'd died for want of a little attention, we'd feel mighty sorry. "

"First of all, back out, everybody, " said Fred. "Then once clear of themow, we can talk it over, and lay some sort of plan. Push along there, Bristles, you're blocking the line of retreat. "

Of course Bristles would not stand for this, and so he began to back out, following the line of least resistance, which in this case was the tunnelby means of which they had crept under the haymow. 

Once free and clear, the four runners clustered together, and proceededto listen attentively again, almost holding their breath in the effort tolocate the sound that had startled them so. 

"There it is, boys!" exclaimed Fred. 

"And louder than before, " added Colon, "though that may be caused by ourcoming out from under the hay. "

"No, we're certainly closer to it than before, " Fred affirmed, "and thatproves it to be over this way. "

He started slowly forward. The others followed, it is true, butstrangely enough not one of them seemed overly anxious to outdistanceFred, and occupy the position of leader. 

It quickly became patent that Fred was right when he said the sound camefrom that end of the old barn, because, as they continued to advanceslowly they could hear it louder and louder. The rain had dropped to amere drizzle, showing that the storm was about to cease shortly, possiblywith the same speed that had marked its opening. As the big drops ceasedpattering like hail on the roof, sending many a little rivulet throughthe holes, they could hear much more easily. 

"I see something, Fred!" whispered Colon, in a hoarse tone. 

He pointed with a trembling finger as he spoke, and directed by thissign-post all of the other boys were able to distinguish an object thatseemed to be extended on the hay. 

"Looks like a man or a boy!" gasped Bristles. 

"I think it is a well-grown boy!" Fred declared. "And now let's find outwhat ails him, that he keeps on groaning like that. "

He held back no longer, but made straight for the object that had caughttheir attention. As they came up, all of them could see plainly enoughthat it was a human being, a fairly well-grown boy, who was lying thereon his face. 

With every breath he seemed to groan, more or less, and occasionally thiswould rise to a louder key. This latter was the sound that had reachedthem while they were under the haymow. 

Now Fred was bending over the recumbent figure. Gently but firmly hestarted to turn it over, when a yell broke out. 

"My leg! Oh! my leg's broke all to splinters!" they heard the unknownshriek. Then he seemed to shut his teeth hard together, as thoughdetermined that not another cry should leave his lips if he died for it. 

Fred had always taken more or less interest in matters pertaining tosurgery, at least as far as it is desirable that a boy should dabble insuch things. He had borrowed many books from Dr. Temple, and on twooccasions had set a broken arm in a fashion that won him words of praisefrom the physician. 

"Let me take a look at your leg, please, " he said, soothingly, as he bentdown over the half-grown boy, who might be the hand about the poor farm, for he looked thin, and illy nourished, as far as Fred could see at aglance. "Perhaps I can be of some assistance to you, poor fellow. Iknow a little about setting bones, and such things. And we promise tostay with you, and do what we can to help. "

He proceeded to make an examination without any delay or squeamishness. The result was that he discovered a serious fracture of both bones of theleg. Fortunately the break was some inches above the ankle, and ifproperly attended to, would not result in any permanent injury. 

Fred did all that was possible under such conditions, while his threechums hovered near, ready to lend a hand whenever he asked it. Theinjured boy cried out and moaned a number of times during the time Fredwas working, but after Fred had made the rudest kind of a splint, andwrapped the leg with some rags torn from an old linen fly-net that washanging from a hook near by, the wounded lad admitted that he felt a"heap better. "

For the first time Fred began to take notice of him other than as apatient. He found that the boy kept his head lowered, as thoughendeavoring to avoid curious eyes, and Fred wondered why this should beso, when they had certainly proven themselves to be very good friends ofhis. 

The mystery was, however, soon explained, when Colon was heard to giveutterance to a sudden exclamation, and cry out:

"Why, what's this? I've sure met this chap before, or my name isn'tColon. It's Tom Flanders, don't you see, Bristles? He's been gone fromhome a long while now, and his folks didn't know what'd come of him, andto think that he's been working on this measly little old farm in thebush here all the time. "

Fred became intensely interested in his patient. He had not happened toknow the Tom Flanders mentioned, but then he had heard more or less abouthim. It was easy enough now to know why the other was so embarrassed. He had been hiding from everybody, no doubt working here under anothername, and hearing not a word as to how affairs in Riverport wereprogressing. 

"Are you Tom Flanders?" he asked the other, quickly. 

The wounded boy had turned white and then red several times under theflow of fear, distress and other emotions. He now looked into Fred'seyes boldly. 

"I s'pose it ain't no use in denyin' that same, because BristlesCarpenter and Colon here know me, " he went on to say, doggedly, afterdrawing a long breath. "Might as well own up anyway, 'cause I reckon I'mgoin' to die. They can't send a dying boy to the Reform School, canthey?"

"Have you been working here at this place ever since you disappeared fromRiverport?" asked Bristles. 

"Jest about all the time, and gettin' nigh starved in the bargain, 'casethey ain't got enough here to feed us, " the boy replied, dejectedly. 

"First of all, " said Fred, "get that idea out of your head that you'regoing to die, just because of a plain fractured leg. In a month from nowyou'll be walking around again, and before three months are gone, youwouldn't know anything had ever happened to you. "

"That's right kind o' you to say such nice things, mister, " Tom Flandersmuttered, "but a feller that's headed straight for the Reform Schoolain't carin' much whether he lives or dies. "

Fred looked around at his three chums. 

"We'd better tell him, hadn't we?" he asked, in a whisper. 

"Sure, the poor fellow's suffered enough as it is, I reckon, " Bristlesreplied. 

"Just what I say too, " added Colon. 

"So go ahead, Fred, and open his eyes. I only hope it'll be a lessonhe'll never forget, and start him along a different road after this, " Sidgave as his opinion. 

"Look here, Tom, " began Fred, "you've been hiding-out for weeks now, andall the time believing that they'd send you to the electric chair or theReform School at any rate, just because you deliberately shoved thatlittle Willie Brandon into the river, and it looked as if he had beendrowned. But Tom, they worked over him long enough to bring him back tolife again. You ran away before anyone could tell you, and your folkshave been nearly crazy trying to find you. Tom, you can come home again, and nobody's going to punish you. It's all right, Tom, and we'll seethat you get to where your folks can have you, before to-night!"

The wretched boy looked at Fred for a full minute as though he couldhardly believe the glad tidings; then he began to cry like a baby. 

CHAPTER XX

WHEN THE CIRCUS CAME TO RIVERPORT

"You'll go home if we can get you there, won't you, Tom?" asked Fred, after a little time had clasped, and the poor fellow on the hay seemedbetter able to reply, having mastered his emotions. 

"I'd be a fool not to say yes!" he exclaimed, eagerly. "'Specially whenyou tell me my folks they want me home again. I've lived a dog's lifeever since I run away. Hain't never dared to ask about news fromRiverport, 'case I reckoned Chief Sutton he must be alookin' everywherefor me. I'll go home, and thank you, fellers; you jest better b'lieve Iwill!"

That settled one thing; Fred knew he could not expect to finish that run. Indeed, the roads were not in the best of condition after the storm foranything like comfort, and perhaps it might be just as well for them allto give up trying to foot it along the rest of the course. 

Having hastily considered this matter, he broached the subject to theothers. 

"Let's look at the thing, boys, " he began, as they gathered around him, knowing that a plan of campaign was being considered. "What we wantedmost of all was to get familiar with this cut-off up here. "

"No trouble about the rest of the route, " ventured Colon, "because it'sgoing to be along the open roads, and every fellow can get it down patfrom studying the map they've posted. But this cut-off is left blank. "

"Meaning that you can go all the way around, making three miles, or elsetake your chance in cutting across country, " Bristles added. 

"Well, my plan is something like this, " continued Fred. "Let's pick outthe first good afternoon next week, get a car from somewhere, if we canborrow one, and run up here. Then we can cross over to the toll-gate, and back again. That ought to fix things so we'll never miss the waywhen the big date comes along. "

"Hear! hear!" cried Bristles. 

"We like your plan, Fred, " replied Sid, "and for one I'm ready to callthis run off. The weather is against us, and we'd have a high old timesplattering through the mud for about thirteen miles. "

"Besides, " added Colon, "we think we ought to be along when you take TomFlanders home to his folks. I happen to know how bad they've felt abouthis being gone!"

That seemed to settle the matter in so far as continuing the trial spinwent. Fred was not sorry, because he felt that he would enjoy having hischeery chums along with him. 

"Then the next question is, how we're going to get home?" and he turnedto the injured boy, to say; "You haven't told us just how you came tobreak your leg, Tom, and why you didn't manage to crawl to the house soas to get help?"

"I knowed the old man an' his wife they was all away to-day, that's why, "was the reply Tom made; "an' as for my accident, it happened so quick Icouldn't hardly tell about it. Reckon I ketched my foot in some looseboard up in that leetle loft, where I was adoin' somethin'. Fust thing Iknowed I felt myself flyin' every which way, over the edge, and kim downon the ground, with my leg doubled under me. Then I jest seen thingsaswimmin' all around me. Guess I fainted, for next thing was when I kimto, an' found myself groanin' bad. When I moved ever so little it nighmade me jest scream. "

"How long do you suppose you've been lying here?" asked Bristles, softly, for he had been much affected by what he saw and heard. 

"Mebbe hours, for all I know, Bristles. They went off jest afterdaylight, meanin' to take the load to Peyton, where they deals in thegrocery line. Wouldn't let me do it, 'case they meant to buy the oldwoman a 'frock, you see. Is it near night time, now, Bristles?"

"Oh! no, the morning isn't more than half over, Tom, " replied Bristles. "But how about some sort of rig we could borrow, to give you a lift toRiverport? Have the old couple taken the only outfit along. Tom?"

"I hear a horse munching hay over there somewhere, " announced Colon. 

"Yes, there is a critter in here, " Tom admitted, with the nearestapproach to a smile that had thus far come upon his wan and pain-rackedface; "and under the shed stands what you might call a wagon, if you shutyour eyes, an' didn't care much what you was asayin'. If old Dominickdidn't keel over, and kick the bucket on the way, he might pull us tenmiles or so; always providin' you give him some oats before you startedhim, and then kept temptin' him on the road with more of the same. "

Bristles gave a shout. 

"Oh! we'll fix old Dominick, never you fear, Tom. I'll look up the oatsright away, and let him get busy, while the rest of you pull that wagonout of the shed, and find something in the way of harness. We don't carea red cent for looks, as long as we get there. The end justifies themeans. You remember we learned that lots of times at school. Get a moveon, boys; everyone to his duty!"

Thus inspired, and spurred on, the others hastened to do their part. Twoof them hunted until they found the lean-to, under which a ramshacklewagon stood that excited the laughter of Colon. 

"If Bristles thought the vehicle that little girl had along with her inRiverport was a terror, what'll he ever say to this?" he remarked, afterhe had doubled up several times in explosive merriment. "Now, if thehoss is anything like what Tom says, I c'n see what a sensation we'llkick up when we strike town. Why, they'll ring the fire bells, and getthe chemical engine out to parade after us. Guess they'll think thecircus has struck Riverport early this year. "

Meanwhile Bristles had succeeded in discovering a small amount of oats ina bin, and he emptied a generous lot of these in the trough of theantiquated looking horse. The animal had started whinnying the instanthe heard the boy moving over in that corner, where he must have known thegrain was kept, though he seldom had more than a handful at a time. 

It was a whole hour before they managed to get the rig fixed up. Indeed, only by the united efforts of all the boys was the bony horse draggedaway from his feed trough, where he had kept munching the oatsdelightedly. 

Then they hunted up all the old horse blankets, and empty gunny-sacksthey could find about the place, and made a soft bed in the wagon. Astretcher was also improvised from some boards, and when four of themtook hold they managed to carry poor Tom to the nearby vehicle, anddeposit him on the sacks. 

Being guided by directions which Tom gave them, they found how a roadwound through the woods to the road, striking the main thoroughfare justabove where they had come out on their previous trip, and with thetoll-gate in sight. 

"Here's where we gain something, boys, " Fred told them, "and this GoodSamaritan job may count in our favor next week when we make that run. "

Fred had been thoughtful enough to write a little note, addressed to theowner of the wretched outfit, whose name it seemed was Ezekial Parsons. In it he explained just how they happened to find poor Tom, and that theyhad borrowed the rig to get him to his home, where he could have propercare. 

He had also promised that the horse and wagon should be returned in duetime, and hinted that his father and mother might be expected to run upand make the acquaintance of the old couple who had been so kind to Tom, although not really able to keep a hand about the place. 

The man at the toll-gate stared, as well he might, when that antiquatedrig came in sight, with the four boys partly bundled in faded horseblankets and gunny-sacks. The weather had not yet cleared, and the airwas chilly for fellows as devoid of clothing as runners always are. 

When he heard about the accident that had happened to Tom, he was loud inhis praise of the action of the boys in giving up their trial spin justto get the injured boy home. 

"If I had a hoss myself, I'd gladly loan him to you, boys, " he told them. 

"Oh! never fear but we'll be able to get there before sun-down, "laughingly declared Fred, while Bristles ran around in front, and heldthe measure of oats close to the nose of the horse, starting him tosnorting wildly, and taking a step forward in the effort to obtain thefeed, kept so tantalizingly just beyond his reach. 

Bristles continued backing away, and always keeping just so far in front, so that the horse was impelled to move along quite briskly. If he laggedat any time the measure was moved closer, and once Bristles even let himthrust his nose into it. 

On the wagon the boys had a very merry time of it, singing, and laughingat the actions of the poor old horse. 

"Please don't excite him too much, Bristles, " begged Sid, "for he'slikely to strain so he'll smash this beautiful harness all to flinders. "

So they kept up the work, Bristles and Colon between them dancing onahead, and tempting the animal between the shafts to renewed exertions. With that measure of oats held within smelling distance of his nose hekept plodding steadily along, and mile after mile was placed in theirrear. 

Once they halted, and watered old Dominick at a wayside spring, besidesletting him have a delightful five-minute communion with the oat crop. Then the forward movement was begun, again, and the boy who held themeasure of oats continued to dance just ahead of the deluded Dominick. 

It was about two o'clock on that Saturday afternoon when a greatcommotion broke out in the outskirts of Riverport. Boys and girlsflocked to the spot, and loud cheers rent the air. Indeed, plenty ofpeople actually made sure that the circus must have arrived ahead oftime, and as this was an event in which every citizen was supposed to beinterested, since he would be compelled to take his youngsters to theshow, plenty of men were in the throng that gathered. 

Dogs barked, chickens set up a cackling and crowing, and there was aperfect Bedlam of sounds along the main street. Down this came thatwonderful vehicle with sundry creaks and dismal groanings, as thoughthreatening to break down at any minute. Ahead strode a boy in runningcostume, tempting the tired old horse to walk along by holding a peckmeasure under his nose, and occasionally just letting him snap up a fewof the oats. 

Three other fellows sat in the wagon some of them trying to keep warm bycovering themselves with gunny-sacks, and all laughing, and joining inthe cheers of the crowd. 

Of course everybody thought it was only a boyish prank, but when they sawthe old wagon draw up in front of the Flanders home, and then those fourboys start to gently lift a figure out from the bed of the vehicle, thenoise ceased as if by magic. 

"Why, it's sure enough Tom Flanders come back home, after his folks hadgiven him up for lost!" one good woman told a new arrival. "They do sayFred and the running boys found him up-country, where he'd broke his leg. Poor fellow, he looks that peaked and pale I reckon he's had a terribletime. And see how his maw hangs over him, like she was the happiestwoman in all Riverport this day. And we all hope that Tom'll turn over anew leaf after this, and make his folks proud of him. But wasn't it fineof Fred and his friends to bring him home that way?"

And certainly, when those four lads witnessed the wild delight of thatmother and father at having their only son restored to them again, aswell as noted how the erring boy cried when he allowed himself to becarried into the house, none of them had the slightest reason to regretthat circumstances had caused them to take refuge from the storm in thatold barn standing near the trail through the woods. 

CHAPTER XXI

THE GREATEST OF DAYS

When the day set for the great Marathon race came around, everybody inRiverport agreed that the weather clerk had certainly outdone himself inorder to give the runners an ideal occasion. There was not a cloud inthe sky. Then, while the air was sparkling and inclined to be cool, thebreeze was not so strong that it would make running difficult. 

Early in the day crowds began to arrive from the two neighboring towns. They came in all manner of conveyances, from farm wagons to the finest ofautomobiles. Music could be heard in the air, for the Riverport BrassBand had decided to honor the great occasion by playing at intervals allday long. 

Ample preparations had been made for seeing the grand finish, which, aswith the start, was to take place on the great level commons borderingthe town, and alongside of which the main road ran. 

Here a grand stand had been erected for the use of the honored guestsfrom Mechanicsburg and Paulding, as well as several other smaller places, each of which was also sending its quota of eager eyed strong-lunged boysto root for their favorite team. 

The race was scheduled to start at exactly one o'clock. This had beensettled on as the best hour, since it would allow everybody who expectedto be present to reach town, and also give the runners plenty of time tocover the course. 

No doubt that morning dragged along worse than any boy in Riverport hadever known time to drag before. They wandered back and forth in droves, all excited, and anxious to hear the latest reports concerning thecondition of those who were expected to compete. 

Several startling rumors were circulated. One was to the effect thatColon had been taken with cholera morbus in the night, and was a completewreck that morning, which would eliminate him from the race. Anotherwent on to tell how Fred Fenton had cut his foot, when chopping wood justto keep himself in condition, and it would be utterly out of the questionfor him to enter the competition. 

These things gave the loyal rooters for Riverport a terrible shock, andmessengers were instantly dispatched to the homes of the two heroes toascertain whether there could be any truth in the wild rumors. When theycame back and reported that both Fred and Colon were in the pink ofcondition, and simply taking things easy so as not to tire themselves outbefore the time, the shouts that arose caused people to rush to theirdoors and windows, wondering if the race had been prematurely started. 

Still the crowds kept pouring into Riverport, until the streets becamefairly congested with the throngs. Business, except for feeding thisvast multitude, and selling them little flags and buttons, seemed to beabsolutely suspended, so that many stores were shut up at noon, not to beopened again until the question of supremacy had been fully settled. 

Fred had not forgotten to get that forlorn rig back to the owners, and inso doing he had had occasion to make the acquaintance of the old couple. His father and mother drove up that very Sunday afternoon, and from whatFred heard them say after returning, he felt sure that things were goingto improve very much with the Parsons. Mrs. Fenton expected to get anumber of her friends interested in some fancy work she had examined, andthere were numerous other ways by means of which the couple could beassisted without allowing them to feel that they were objects of charityto the community. 

Of course the four boys had managed to secure a car, by means of whichthey ran up on Wednesday afternoon after school hours. There was timeenough before the shadows began to gather for them to go over the cut-offseveral times. They examined every foot of the way, and just as Fred hadsaid, it was found that by following the obscure road that led from theParsons farm to the main highway above the toll-gate, they could save atleast seven precious minutes. 

This was bound to be of considerable importance to them, provided none oftheir rivals from the other towns discovered the same thing, for ofcourse it was expected that nearly every contestant would take advantageof the cut-off. Indeed, very likely all of them had been prowling aroundbefore now, the idea being to become familiar with the ground. 

Fred had called the others up over the wire about the middle of themorning, and what Colon called a "grand powwow" was held at his house. Sid, Bristles and Colon gathered there to talk matters over with Fred, and learn if any new development had taken place which might proveimportant in the result. 

Of course, after the start it was supposed that every contestant wouldrun his own course, and hence Fred believed it to be good policy that theRiverport contestants should be in full sympathy with the plan ofcampaign. 

Some of the other high school boys, particularly chums like Brad Morton, who had expected to be in the race until he sprained his ankle and had togive up all hope of competing, Dave Hanshaw, Semi-Colon, Corney Shays, and Dick Hendricks, hung around the Fenton house, hoping to get anoccasional glimpse of their representatives, who, they knew, were inconsultation. 

At half-past eleven Fred gave his three friends a little lunch, but hehad exercised great care with regard to the character of the food, whichhis mother prepared with her own hands. It was calculated to give themendurance without any bad after effect. 

"We're all invited over to Sid's house for dinner to-night, remember, "Fred told them, as they sat around the table, with the rest of the familywaiting on them just as though they might already be looked upon in thelight of heroes, "and let's hope we'll have a jollification there, withthe prize for winning the Marathon in the safe keeping of good oldRiverport High for this year. "

"So long as we win, and fairly at that, " said Sid, "none of us cares verymuch who crosses the line first, though of course everyone hopes to havethat great honor. But from what I know of this bunch, there isn't asingle fellow present who would hesitate to eliminate himself, if bydoing so he could advance the interests of the school!"

"Hear! hear!" cried Colon, "that's our sentiment, every time, Sid. Riverport High first, and self next in this sort of rivalry. And believeme, we're going to keep that Marathon prize right here in town thisyear. "

CHAPTER XXII

"THEY'RE OFF!"

"Somebody please give me the official list of entries; I'm not sure Ihave it right, " and as Cissie Anderson said this she looked around her atthe clump of enthusiastic school friends, both boys and girls, surrounding her seat in the grandstand. 

There were Flo Temple, Mame Wells, and several other girls, as well asSemi-Colon, Cornelius Shays and a few other fellows who believed in beingcomfortable during the long wait, while the contestants were absent. 

"That's me, Cissie, " Semi-Colon spoke up, flourishing a paper proudly. "I've just come from the blackboard where they've posted the names of theentries. You know each school was to be limited to four contestants?"

"Yes, but please give me the list, " said Cissie, impatiently. "They'rebeginning to gather around the starting line, and I want to be sure I'vegot everything correct. Just think how small I'd feel if I cheered thewrong one. "

"You can cheer everybody, " Flo told her, "until the time comes to welcomethe first runner, and then Riverport hopes to do herself proud. "

"Mechanicsburg has four entries, " Semi-Colon announced, purposely raisinghis rather puny voice so that every one within a radius of twenty feetmight profit by his knowledge, "and they are Dolan, Wagner, Waterman, and Ackers. The last named is called the Mechanicsburg Wonder, and theyall say he's going to win this Marathon in a walk. "

At that there were scornful exclamations from the faithful Riverportrooters. 

"We've seen Ackers run plenty and good, when he played left tackle ontheir football eleven!" announced one boy, jeeringly. 

"And if I remember rightly he didn't run fast enough to make manytouchdowns, eh, fellows?" exclaimed another Riverport student. 

"You wait and see, that's all!" they were told by an indignant girlnearby, who undoubtedly had her home in the up-river town. 

"Yeth, " added her companion, a boy who lisped terribly, but was notprevented by this affliction from speaking his mind in behalf of hisnative town, "they thay thosth that laugh lasth laugh loudetht. Justhwait, and 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 howabout Paulding?"

"Only three entries there, " the answer came, "because Ogden was hurt on apractice run yesterday afternoon, and it was too late to grind asubstitute 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 aregoing to be, but all the same I'll just mention them. Their names seemto roll off my tongue as easy as anything---Sid Wells, Colon, BristlesCarpenter, and last hut far from least, our splendid all-around athlete, Fred Fenton. "

There was a generous clapping of hands around that section of thegrandstand; although the pair from Mechanicsburg looked scornful, andshrugged their shoulders in truly loyal style, for they were faithfulrooters 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, forno 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 ownbottom, and the fellow who can stand the gruelling run best is going tocome 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 asporting patron, "and if they all start out in a bunch, I should thinkthere might be some little confusion. "

"Not at all, sir, " the boy assured him. "Each runner has a big numberfastened 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. Andbesides, although they may start off in a clump, before three miles havebeen run the chances are they'll be strung all along the road, and withnumerous little hot sprints to get the lead. "

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

"Oh! amuse the crowd, and keep them from getting too anxious, " Semi-Colontold him, readily enough, for his greatest delight was to spreadinformation. "The committee on sports has arranged several comicalentertainments. There's going to be several sack races to begin with;climbing the greased pole for another thing; catching a greased pig foranother; and a three-foot race to wind up with. "

"A three-foot race!" repeated the gentleman:"I don't know that I've ever heard of that; would you mind explaining alittle further, my lad?"

"Oh! the contestants are entered in pairs, you see, " Semi-Colon told him. "They are bound together that way, one fellow having his left legfastened to his partner's right. It's a great sight to see how theyblunder along, and fall all over themselves. I know some fellows whohave been practicing the stunt; but even then, in the excitement they'reapt to get into a terrible muss. "

"Well, all that ought to keep the people in good humor while the time ispassing, I should think, " the stranger remarked, laughingly. "And now, would you mind telling me a little about the rules of the great race? Iunderstand that the course covers twenty-five miles in all?"

"Yes, sir, if any contestant chooses to go over the entire distance, " hewas informed by the willing Semi-Colon, who kept one anxious eye on thespot where the various runners were now gathering, as though the time forstarting might be drawing very close now. 

"What do you mean by saying that, please? Is there any way by which theymay shorten the distance?" continued the gentleman. 

"That's just it, sir; at the upper end they can cut off three miles bytaking a short-cut through the woods and along the border of a marsh, coming out on the other road at the toll-gate, and then turning towardhome. "

"I understand what you mean, and I suppose that every one will undertakethat shortening of the journey?"

"Well, I hear there's some talk of a Mechanicsburg fellow who means torun it out on the road all the way, " Semi-Colon told his persistentquestioner. 

"What reason would he have for doing so, son?"

"The old one of the hare and the tortoise, sir, " the Riverport studentremarked, with a shrewd look. "You see, there's always some chance thatthe fellows who try to make that cut-off may get confused, and lose theirway. If they strike the other road below the toll-gate, why they'recompelled to go all the way back so as to register. "

"Register!" exclaimed the other, in a puzzled tone. 

"Why, it's this way, " he was informed by the willing and talkativeSemi-Colon, "the committee has laid out registering stations at certainplaces along the course, where every runner has to sign his name in hisown fist, also the exact time of his arrival; then he is at liberty toshoot off again as he pleases. One of these is just below where thecutoff begins, and another at the toll-gate on the home road. "

"Oh! I begin to grasp what you mean now, " the stranger in Riverportremarked, as he nodded his head. "All this is done so that there shallnot be the slightest taint of unfairness or cheating about the race?"

"You better believe there won't be, sir!" declared Cornelius Shays. "Nobody will ever be able to say Riverport won on a foul, or by takingany unfair advantage of her rivals. It's going to be a clean game and agreat victory!"

"When they line up, please tell me the numbers of your friends, and alsothose from the other schools. I happen to have a pair of field-glasseswith me, and when the first runner comes in sight away up the roadyonder, I may be able to return your kindness by telling you positivelywhat his number is before you could distinguish it with the naked eye. "

"There they are lining up now, Semi!" exclaimed Cissie, eagerly, and asSid Wells was a very particular friend of hers, it can be set down ascertain that her eyes picked him out of the eleven just as quickly as hissister Mame could have done. 

Accordingly, as the line swayed there, with the contestants listening tothe last plain instructions from the master of ceremonies, warning themof what penalties would be sure to follow any fouling in the race, Semi-Colon told the stranger in Riverport just which number representedeach entry. 

"The first four numbers belong to Mechanicsburg, you see, Ackers leadingas One, Dolan Two, Waterman Three, and Wagner Four. Then come ourfellows, with Sid Wells Five, Fred Fenton Six, Colon Seven, and BristlesCarpenter Eight. Number Nine is Collins of Paulding, with Everett Ten, and Badger Eleven. There is no Twelve, you see, sir, because Ogden isknocked out. "

"Hold up now, Semi-Colon, they're going to make the start, and we don'twant to keep hearing you talking forever, " a boy in the second row behindcalled out; at which the shortened edition of the Colon family cast anaggrieved glance back that way, but nevertheless held his tongue. 

"Now, watch, he's going to fire the pistol!" gasped Cissie Anderson, withher eyes fairly glued upon the line of young athletes who expected tocompete for the honor of winning the great Marathon. 

Then came a spiteful little crack of the pistol the starter had beenelevating. 

"They're off!" shrieked hundreds of voices, and a tremendous billow ofcheers rang out, to send the eleven runners on their way with a firmdetermination lodged in each and every breast to strain himself to theutmost in order to be the fortunate winner. 

Up the road they went at a furious speed, bunched together in thebeginning, yet with several already showing signs of breaking away, andtaking the lead. 

CHAPTER XXIII

THE MARATHON RUNNERS

The same general principles that might apply in a mile run, or a twohundred yard dash, would not be worth while attempting in this long race. Those contestants who managed to cover the entire distance were bound tobe so exhausted when the last mile was reached that they could not beexpected to have much stamina left, so as to make a "Garrison finish. "

On this account there would be little holding back on the part of therunners. Besides, they knew that it would be desirable if there was abreak in the bunch in the early stages of the game. There would thus beno crowding, the weaker falling back, though still keeping on in the hopethat something might happen to the leaders when their chances would stillbe good. 

Here and there along the first five miles little groups of schoolboys hadassembled in order to cheer their favorites along. They did not stringout any further than this because everyone wished to hurry back to the"Green" in order to see something of the humorous contests, as well as tobe in position there when the first tired runner turned the bend half amile up the road. 

Some of these enthusiastic boys even ran alongside for a short time, asthough in this way they could put fresh heart in their chums. To theircredit be it said that not in a single instance did they offer to detainone of the rival runners, or interfere in the slightest degree with hisfree passage; though of course in their partisan fashion they managed tosend out a few taunts after him, to the effect that he was only "wastinghis time. "

During that five miles those who remained in the lead could be counted onthe fingers of one hand. They were Ackers, Colon, Fred Fenton andBadger; and this alignment at least gave promise of a keen competitionbetween the three rival schools, since each of them was representedthere. 

About this time Fred picked up, and pressed Ackers hard. He wasfollowing out the plan that had been arranged between himself and hischums, whereby the one who was reckoned the most dangerous of alloutsiders might be harried. Fred had never really run in a race againstthis so-called "Wonder, " and he was anxious to discover just what he hadin the way of speed. 

Of course he knew at the same time that it was endurance that would beapt to win this race. Speed is all very well, and in part quitenecessary, but with twenty-five miles to be covered the main thing isalways staying qualities. 

So he and Ackers had a merry little sprint, in which Fred gained until hepassed the other. Upon that, Ackers, realizing that this sort of thingif persisted in would utterly ruin his chances, even though Fred droppedout also, fell back to his old style of plodding steadily along in aregular grid, just content to keep ahead of the other two. 

Fred kept on increasing his lead until he had some little ground betweenhimself and the Wonder. One of his reasons for doing this was to be ableto register at the road station just short of where the cut-off came in. He hoped to be able to vanish under the marked birch trees before Ackerscould sight him, and in this way make the other choose his own place forleaving the road. 

If Ackers went in below, he would strike the marsh, and in this way blockhis own progress but no doubt Ackers knew this, since he and his friendshad been down to examine the course, and must have done considerableprowling around here. 

Upon arriving at the station, Fred lost not a second in seizing thepencil offered to him by the waiting keeper, and jotting down his name, as well as the time indicated upon the face of the little clock that wasplaced in plain view. 

He did not say half a dozen words to the other, because he felt that heneeded every bit of his breath. There was a runner just turning the bendbelow, and from his number being One he knew that it was the "terrible"Ackers. 

So off Fred bounded, and the keeper, looking after him smiled withsatisfaction, he being a Riverport gentleman, and reckoned very fair andsquare. 

"In splendid shape after running more than ten miles, I should say, " hetold himself, "and this other fellow coming on like a whirlwind seems tobe just as well off. There's a third close behind him, too. That makesit an interesting and exciting race. I'm only sorry I have to be uphere, and wait for the last to come past before I can jump in my car andspeed back to town to be in at the finish. "

Fred had figured closely, for when he reached the birch trees Ackers hadnot as yet appeared around the bend above the station. In this way hewas able to plunge in among the bushes without giving the other runner anopportunity to follow him, something Fred did not wish to have happen. 

Once in the woods, Fred pushed on steadily. 

He knew that speed was not of so much value to him now as accuracy. Ifhe became confused in his bearings, and lost the trail, it would ruin hischances for coming in ahead of his competitors. 

Accordingly Fred bent every energy to observing where he was going. Colon would be sure to follow in his track, regardless of what Ackers haddone. By taking that road leading from the old farm of Ezekial Parsons, where they had found Tom Flanders lying in the haymow with a broken leg, they believed they could gain from five to eight minutes on anyone whopushed through the thickets and trailed around the tongue of the marsh. 

One thing Fred was glad of, ---the favorable condition of the weather. Hecould not help remembering how that early Spring thunderstorm had burstupon them at the time he and his chums were investigating this region forthe first time. What a lucky thing it was the weather clerk had orderedup such a grand day for the long race, with the sun not too hot, andnever a cloud in the blue sky overhead. 

Fred, though keeping all his senses on the alert, so that he might seethe "blazes" made on their former trip, and not lose his way, wasnevertheless not blind or deaf to other things around him. 

He loved the wide open woods, and was never so happy as when surroundedby their solitude. The cawing of the crows, the tapping of thesapsucker, the rat-tat-tat of the bold red-headed woodpecker invitinginsects in the rotten limb to look out, and he gobbled up, the friskingof the red squirrel as he darted like a flash around to the other side ofa tree trunk---all these and more he noted as he pushed sturdily forward. 

Once arrived in the vicinity of the old, ramshackle barn where he and hiscomrades had sought shelter from the rain, Fred planned to leave thezigzag trail and take to the farmer's road. This would bring him to apoint just above the toll-gate where the next registering booth waslocated. 

As the old couple had been made aware of the stirring event of thatparticular day, Fred would not be surprised to see them on the lookout, ready to give him a cheery wave of the hand as he passed by. 

He counted himself as lucky to get along over that rough section of hisjourney without any accident. There was always a possibility of catchinghis foot in some unseen vine, and finding himself thrown violently to theground. Even a slight injury to his knee might work to his disadvantage, since it was bound to cripple him at some time during the remainingthirteen or more miles that must be passed over before the goal wasreached. 

Now he discovered a stump of a tree that had been cut down recently, andwhich he remembered lay close to where they were standing at the timethey headed for the shelter of the old barn. This assured him that hemust have covered the worst of the trail, and was about to strike easiergoing. Fred thought he would not be averse to this, since it had beenhard pushing through the scrub, where lowhanging branches of treescontinually threatened to strike him in the eyes, and all manner ofhidden traps awaited the feet of the unwary. 

He did not doubt in the least but that by taking the road he would soincrease his speed over one who stuck to the crooked trails, that he mustarrive at the toll-gate station quite a little time ahead of Ackers. 

Well, every minute would be apt to count, for like each one of the otherRiverport contestants Fred had been told all sorts of amazing storiesabout the ability of the Mechanicsburg "Wonder" to recuperate, and comein at the end of a long race apparently fresh. That had been one of thereasons for his brush with Ackers; he had tried to run him off his feet, and test this feature of his make-up. 

There was the old barn at last. Fred saw its familiar outlines with thegreatest satisfaction. So far as he could tell he had carried out everypart of his work with clock-like fidelity, for he had counted on reachingthis point at a given time, and expected to be registering again far inadvance of all others. 

Bursting from the shelter of the woods Fred gave a single glance back ofhim. He saw no sign of Colon, and yet felt positive that the other musteven then be threading his tortuous way through the undergrowth, andwould arrive within a few minutes at most. 

Of course it was far from Fred's policy to wait for his chum. If Colon'swind and endurance stood the severe test, he would have the chance ofovertaking any who might be ahead of him, during that run home. Otherwise he must "take his medicine;" but it would be the utmost follyfor the leader to waste even five seconds for the privilege of exchanginga few sentences with his chum. 

They had arranged all this in advance, and meant to keep strictly to theline of action laid out. Should Fred falter in the last mile, and thewonderful Ackers begin to overhaul him, Colon hoped to be within strikingdistance. If he were in fit trim, he could then outstrip theMechanicsburg contestant by a display of some of that queer jumping styleof running that had been likened to the progress of a kangaroo. 

A shout told Fred that the old farmer and his wife were on the watch, andhad recognized him. They were standing in the doorway of their humblecottage, and waved to him as he flitted past. 

He only turned to answer their greeting, and having by then reached theprivate road which connected the farm with the main thoroughfare, startedalong it. Now it was possible for Fred to increase his pace to a regularrun, though there was still a necessity for keeping his eyes about him, since the way was far from being smooth. 

As he reached a point where a turn would shut out a view of what laybehind, Fred glanced back over his shoulder, wondering if Colon might bein sight. There was no sign of the long-legged runner, however. Fredwhipped around the curve. 

He was wondering how Ackers was running, and he really hoped that theMechanicsburg runner might not lose himself, in his eagerness to shortenthe distance across lots. That would take all the snap out of the race, making it a dead sure thing for Riverport, with two of their entriesleading on the home stretch. Fred thought of those thousands of eagerspectators, and how bitterly many of them were sure to be disappointed ifthere was no hot finish to the grand Marathon, with the winner justnosing in as it were, amidst the most intense suspense. 

All at once Fred became conscious of a new sound nearby. This time itdid not have any connection with the voices of the woods. On thecontrary he believed it to be the agonized cry of a child. 

It grew louder as he ran along, proving that he must be rapidlyapproaching the spot where something was going on. Fred remembered thatstirring event on the frozen river, when he and Bristles had been able torescue the boy who had fallen in through the air-hole. Somehow it struckhim that he was listening once more to the plaintive voice of littleSadie Ludson as she cried so pitifully for help. 

Increasing his speed, Fred presently burst into full view of what wasgoing on there under the trees, and his whole soul filled withindignation as well as anger as he comprehended the reason for thosepleading cries. 

CHAPTER XXIV

WHEN DUTY CALLED

"Oh! please don't strike him any more!"

That was what Fred heard in the shrill voice of Sadie Ludson, and everyword seemed to be filled with frantic fear. One look had told theMarathon runner why the girl betrayed such terror. She was clingingdesperately to the uplifted arm of a hulking man, who clutched a stick inhis hand. This he had undoubtedly been bringing down with more or lessforce upon the writhing figure he held with his other hand, and whichFred immediately recognized as the unfortunate boy Sam Ludson. 

Of course he did not need to be told that the man must be Corny Ludson, the uncle and self-styled guardian of the two wretched children. Fromhis appearance it looked as though Corny might have been indulging alittle too freely in strong drink. This probably had the effect ofdulling his wits, and making him more of a brute than he might be when inhis proper senses. 

At any rate he was engaged in whipping poor Sam to his heart's content, possibly for some slight infraction of the law he chose to lay down forthe guidance of the pair over whom he had control. 

The girl tried her best to keep the angry man from continuing his rain ofblows. He growled at her and shook her hand off, after which heproceeded to use the rod of correction again. 

Fred could hear the writhing boy groan, and cry out, in spite of all hisefforts to keep from giving tongue. The girl continued sobbing, andvainly trying to prevent further punishment. Even as Fred came in sightof the scene the infuriated man, as if bothered by the way she interferedwith his wretched work, gave her a fling that sent the girl headlong tothe ground. 

When she struggled to her knees, she was holding a hand to her head, asthough she had hurt it by rough contact with the stones. 

Fred Fenton's blood fairly boiled. He forgot all about the fact that hewas engaged in a great Marathon race, and that his school looked to himto do everything that was honorable in order to win the victory. 

The sight of that great brute abusing these two children whom amisfortune had placed in his power was too much for him to stand. Nomatter if a dozen races had to be forfeited, Fred could never run past, and feel that he had done right. 

None of the actors in the thrilling little drama had so far discoveredhim, for he had come pattering softly along the road. He immediatelyturned aside, and leaped straight for the spot, meaning to hurl himselfon the man, and endeavor to overcome him. The fact that Corny had beendrinking, and seemed a bit unsteady on his feet, was likely to aid Fred, he believed. It would have been all the same had other conditionsprevailed, for the boy was fully aroused. 

Although the girl had been crying so frantically, it had not been inhopes of anyone hearing and coming to the rescue. She was simply tryingto influence the man to forego his use of that stick, with which he hadamused himself, making cruel welts upon the tender flesh of thestruggling and helpless boy. 

Fred rushed upon Corny like a young whirlwind. The girl was the first tonotice his coming, and she could not help giving a cry of delight. Thisit turned out was the worst thing that could have happened, for it musthave reached the ear of the man, warning him in time to turn and seeFred. 

The runner had gone too far now to hesitate, and so he continued hisforward progress. He sprang straight at Corny, and received ahalf-hearted blow from the other, who was really too much surprised atsight of the boy to get himself in full readiness. 

They clinched, and struggled desperately. The man was of course much thestronger of the two, but his condition took away considerable of thisadvantage, so that after all the match was not so unequal. 

Fred knew that his best chance was simply to push the other back by thesheer weight of his attack, in the hope that Corny might catch his heelin some upturned root, and measure his length on the ground. 

The boy had been released, of course, for Corny needed both hands withwhich to defend himself. Immediately the girl threw a protecting armaround her gasping brother, and the pair crouched close by, watching withstartled eyes as the terrible struggle went on. 

As it began to look as though their young champion might fail in hisattempt to subdue the ogre, the girl, who apparently had more spirit thanher brother, crept out and tried the best she could to offer Fred a stoutstick which she had picked up from the ground. 

Desperately as he fought, Fred was himself beginning to believe that hemight not be able alone and unaided to subdue the other, who was reallynext door to a giant in size. In his proper senses Corny Ludson wouldundoubtedly have been equal to several boys like Fred, but he had puthimself in the power of a master inclined to weaken his resources. 

Failing to run across a friendly projecting root that would do thebusiness for the clumsy feet of the struggling man, Fred began to believehe would be compelled to accept the stick which Sadie was holding out, and use it on the other's head. 

As he fought, Corny was wild with rage, and uttering all sorts of uglythreats as to what he would visit upon the head of this rash boy who hadattacked him. It was plainly evident that the man was in a dangerousmood. This told Fred he would be justified in doing almost anything, inorder to save those children, not to speak of himself. 

In the struggle he had not come off without several knocks himself, andthere was always a chance that the man might succeed in clutching him bythe throat. The consequences of such a happening appalled Fred, and, resolved to end the battle once and for all, he watched his opportunity, and the next time they whirled close to the crouching figure of littleSadie, he snatched the stick out of her hand. 

It took all of his nerve to be able to actually strike the man on thehead. Indeed, the act sent a cold chill all through him, for neverbefore in all his life could Fred remember of having struck anyone with aclub. 

Though the blow was hardly more than a severe tap, it crumpled Corny up, all the same. Fred felt him become immediately limp in his grasp, and ashe drew back the man fell to the ground in a dazed condition. 

"Good shot!" exclaimed a well-known voice close by, and Colon camelimping up. 

At sight of his chum Fred uttered an exclamation of dismay. 

"Oh! I'm sorry I did it;" he declared; "if I'd only known you were sonear by, I'd have held out a little longer, and that's right, Colon. "

"Well, that would only have made me do the little act then, " said theother with a grin, "and p'raps I'd have tapped him harder than you did. I guess his head's all fuddled anyway, and that just finished themix-up. "

He turned to look at the boy and girl, who were again clasped in eachother's arms. 

"I reckon now these must be Sam and Sadie, aren't they, Fred?" Colonwent on to say, though besides being lame he was also rather short ofwind, truth to tell. "I know the man all right, to be that ugly Corny. And what was he doing to make you jump him, Fred?"

"Beating the boy while the girl tried to hold his hand, " the otherreplied as he frowned down upon the prostrate bully. "When he flung herto the ground, it was the last straw for me, and---well, you saw whathappened. "

"He'd been drinking pretty heavily, hadn't he?" Colon continued, "butable to put up a stiff fight for all that. Well, you got the better ofhim, Fred, and this ought to wind up his treating these children as hedoes. You know the police are looking out for him right now. I wouldn'tbe a bit surprised if they could tell us all about the doings of Corny, and whether he did those jobs of robbery. "

He limped toward the boy and girl, and as before it was little Sadie whospoke up without hesitation, to say:

"He is our uncle, and he treats us very bad. Yes, and he takes thingsthat belong to other people. We know because we've watched him countingthe money, and he always gets mad when he sees us looking on. He hadsome papers in a tin box too; they are in his pocket right now. Oh! wehope you can take us away from him, for he beats us cruelly. "

"There, didn't I tell you so, Fred?" exclaimed Colon, triumphantly, "andbetween us now, we've got to fix it so this old scoundrel doesn't get achance to beat Sam again, or rob another farmhouse. I'll manage to fixhim up, somehow or other, and stay here to watch him. You go on and winthis race for Riverport, Fred. "

"But how about you, Colon?" Fred hastened to say, between his set teeth;"I'm sure you've set your heart on coming in ahead of the string, just asmuch as anyone. "

Colon shook his head sadly. 

"The game's all up with me, Fred!" he exclaimed, hurriedly; "I must haverun a measly thorn in my foot just about the time I heard you scrappingwith that man. Didn't you notice how I had to limp? Why, I couldn'tkeep up the pace for three miles more. No, you've just got to leave meto take care of this scamp. I saw some wood choppers coming through theWoods back there, and can call them up after you go. "

"But I hate to do it, Colon; it's a terrible disappointment to you, " Fredtold him, knowing the other as he did. 

"Forget all about me, and think only of winning that prize for RiverportHigh!" the tall chum exclaimed, and then actually pushing Fred away fromhim, he continued, "Now be off with you, Fred, and please, oh! pleasebeat that Mechanicsburg Wonder over the line!"

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

Just as Colon had said, there was indeed need of haste. All thesehappenings had consumed more or less time, and possibly Ackers would haveregistered at the toll-gate station before Fred, reached there. Sowaving 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 keenregret that misfortune had tossed him out of the great race, he certainlyfailed to show it. 

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

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

And on seeing how happy Sam and his sister looked at the prospect ofbeing forever relieved from the brutal guardian who had made life soterrible for them, Colon must have realized that there may becompensations, even for a fellow who has been cheated out of his chanceto 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 belongingto the local artillery company, every eye was instantly focussed on thebend of the road half a mile away. Yes, a runner had suddenly turned thecorner, and was heading in a direct line for the finish!

He ran in a wobbly fashion, as though utterly fatigued, a fact that wasapparent to everyone. They could hear the far-off howls of those who hadwaited up the track to welcome the runners. A crowd followed hisprogress, but was wisely prevented from breaking in upon the roadway, sothat those in the grandstand were enabled to see all that went on. 

"Oh! who is it?" cried Cissie Anderson shrilly, as she stood up, everyonebeing on tiptoe with excitement. 

"Fred Fenton!" shouted Cornelius Shays, apparently taking it for grantedthat their favorite athlete would be the first to come in. 

"No! no, it can't be Fred, because he was Number Six, and that seems morelike a Seven!" another boy shouted; at which Flo Temple turned reallypale with bitter disappointment, for she had hoped it would be Fred. 

"Colon! Hurrah for Colon!" whooped several enthusiastic Riverportrooters. 

"Look again, and perhaps you won't crow so loud!" the saucy girl fromMechanicsburg exclaimed, her eyes dancing with eagerness. "I've gotpretty good sight, and that looks like a Figure One to me. Besides, Iought to know how Billie Ackers runs, for he happens to be my ownbrother!"

The stranger in town had raised his field-glasses meanwhile, and hehastened to remark, turning sideways toward Flo Temple and Cissie:

"Yes, that is a Figure One, most assuredly!"

As though the adherents of the up-river school had discovered thisgratifying truth for themselves, wild cheers now began to be heard, coupled with the Mechanicsburg favorite school song, sung by a glee clubthat suddenly sprang into view, waving flags, and throwing up their hatsin enthusiasm. 

"It's the Mechanicsburg Wonder!"

"We told you he had their measure taken, didn't we?" shouted Sherley, thefootball quarterback. 

Boom!

"Another runner has just turned the bend, and see him gaining on Ackers, would you? Why, what's this I see---that number looks like Eleven, anddidn't Badger of the Pauldings carry that? Will you see him tearing offthe space on your tired-out Wonder? It's good-night to Ackers, Mechanicsburg!"

"That may be, but where do you fellows here in Riverport come in?"shrilled the girl from up river whose brother was plainly being beaten. 

Boom!

"Oh! there's a third runner in sight, and just see how he is tearingalong like a scared wolf. We ought to know that style, Riverport, andnobody but Fred Fenton could show such terrific speed at the close of atwenty-five mile race. That's because he pays more attention tocondition than speed!"

"Will he overtake the other runners before they get to the goal?"shrieked an almost crazy rooter, as he stood on his seat, and waved botharms wildly again and again. 

Thousands of anxious eyes watched the approaching figures of the threecontestants. It was still an open question who would come in ahead. TheWonder was evidently at almost his last gasp, while Badger, the Pauldingrunner, could hardly be said to show much better form, for he too wobbledconstantly from side to side, as though kept going only by sheer grit. 

Fred, coming strong from the rear, was speedily overtaking them both. When Badger, looking over his shoulder, saw this, he started a feeblelittle spurt, but it excited only derisive whoops from the frenziedcrowd. 

"No use, Badger, you've shot your bolt! Give way to a better man!"shouted the captain of the Riverport cheer squad through his megaphone. 

"And look at the poor old riddled Wonder wobble, would you? There, if hehasn't taken a header in the bargain! It's all up, boys, all over butthe shouting!"

"Oh! the poor fellow has gone down in a heap!" gasped Flo Temple, asAckers after stumbling fell to his knees in his weakness. 

"Look at him trying to get up, but he can't do it!" cried CorneliusShays. "The tape is only thirty feet away, and Ackers is trying to crawlthere on his hands and knees. Now Fred is on him, and has passed to thefront, with poor Ackers rolling over like a log in a dead faint!"

Such a tumult of wild shouting as broke out when Fred Fenton, pale offace, and bearing the marks of his hard run in the agonized expression ofhis face, staggered past the judges, and fell into the arms of severalfriends who were anticipating some such collapse at the end of thefiercely contested Marathon. 

Nor were the plucky Ackers and Badger forgotten by either friends orrivals in the many wild cheers that followed. 

"Where's Colon?" a dozen people were asking anxiously, for a strangerumor had flashed around through the great crowd, to the effect thatbecause the second favorite had not shown up at all, he had fallen andbroken his ankle. 

Fred quickly set these stories at rest by telling just what did detainColon, and how having been injured by running a thorn in his foot, he haddecided to stay there by the two children to watch the man who had beencaught beating the boy. 

Later on, of course, all of those who had been left up in the woodsarrived in town, having been met on the way by Chief Sutton in a car, andgiven a lift. Colon saw to it that the three woodchoppers were well paidfor their part in the affair. 

Fred walked home with Flo Temple that evening, not a particle spoiled, she really believed, on account of all the praise showered upon him bythe pleased partisans of Riverport High. 

Other rivalries would likely have to be settled between these neighboringtowns, with their lively high schools, but it would be a long time beforethe assembled crowds could ever experience such tremendous excitement ascame about when Fred Fenton caught up with Badger and the MechanicsburgWonder on the home-stretch of the twenty-five mile Marathon, and managedto win by a scant fifteen feet. 

Corny Ludson being taken in charge by the police was in due time placedon trial charged with serious offenses. There was no difficulty inproving him guilty of both robberies, and of course he received a longsentence, which would keep him from preying on the public, or annoyingthe children left in his charge by an unsuspicious brother. 

Upon investigation by Judge Wallace it was found that while he had reallybeen the legally appointed guardian of his nephew and niece, and hadsquandered all the spare money he could get his hands on, there was quitea snug amount in securities that he could not touch. 

This would be ample to provide Sam and Sadie with all necessary comfortswhile they went to school, and grew up. They were speedily placed in acomfortable home with an old couple who would take the part of parents tothem, and it may be easily understood how from that time on both of themrested in the belief that there was no fellow in all Riverport quite theequal of Fred Fenton, because he had had so much to do with bringing themtheir present happiness. 

They do say that Flo Temple inclines the same way, for she and Fredcontinue to be good friends, and are seen together at all the dances, andother entertainments. 

The End