way or another managed to get out of
range of the vision of those on the field.

After that, chuckling at the success of his little plan, Fred started
for the place which was to be the beginning of his five mile run. It was
some distance from the athletic field; and would take him in an
entirely different direction from that covered by the balance of the
contestants.

It surely did take him over peculiar territory. Now he was following a
fair kind of a country road; presently he cut across a stretch of
woodland, jumping fallen trees, and vaulting stone fences with all the
vigor of healthy youth.

Two miles, and Fred felt satisfied that he was doing uncommonly well. He
believed that his muscles had never before responded so splendidly to
his demands. When he reached that two mile mark, made by himself when he
used to modestly practice in private, not wishing to be watched, because
he was not known as a runner in those days, Fred believed he had his
best time shortened more than a few seconds. And that over rough ground,
such as he would find in no part of the regular race.

Now he had reached the worst part of all, and which he wished he were
well over with. This was an old limestone quarry, that had not been
worked for years. There were pits scattered here and there, some of them
partly concealed by the friendly bushes that grew here and there to the
edge.

Fred knew he must be careful until he had placed this region behind.
Once before he had come close to slipping down into one of those deep
holes, from which he understood the limestone had been taken, as it was
found in spots. He did not want to be caught napping a second time.

"To have Colon missing was bad enough," he said to himself, as he jumped
nimbly to the right, and then to the left, in order to avoid suspicious
spots; "but if I disappeared, and couldn't be found, I just guess the
whole town would take a fit. But I'll take mighty good care it doesn't
happen. Whew, come near doing it right then, on the left. I must sheer
off more the other way!"

And then, ten seconds later, as he thought he saw a break in the bushes
that seemed to mark one of the treacherous holes, Fred sprang to the
right, to find his feet passing through blank space, and his body
shooting downward.

After all his precautions, he had made a mistake, and had plunged into
one of the numerous pits with which the level track of the old quarry
was spotted.

CHAPTER XV

THE AC