while we'd have five to the good."

"And here's the director going to announce the race, while the other man
will name all the contestants entered to take part. My! what a big bunch
there are; and how exciting it promises to be. But I'm pinning my faith
on Fred Fenton to win."

And pretty Flo Temple gave the speaker a grateful look, because he
voiced her sentiments exactly.

CHAPTER XXIV

THE LONE RUNNER

"They're off!" was the cry.

With the crack of the pistol the long string of runners left the line.
Most of them had been crouching in some favorite attitude that allowed a
quick start.

The course was to take them from the field over to the road, and then
along this for exactly two and a half miles, until a turning point was
reached, when the return trip would begin.

Inspectors were stationed at various distances along the course; and
judges stood guard at the turning stake, to make sure that every
contestant went the full limit before heading for home.

In the three schools there were eleven contestants in all--four for
Riverport, the same number for her up-river rival, and three belonging
to Paulding. Each boy had a large number fastened on his back and chest,
so that he could be plainly recognized by this for some little
distance.

Fred was Number Seven, while the crack long-distance runner of
Mechanicsburg, the wonderful Boggs, had been given Number One. And there
were many persons who believed firmly that the race was destined to be
between these two boys, champions of their respective schools.

In such a long race the interest does not get fully awakened until
several miles have been passed over. And in order that those on the
athletic field might not be wholly without some shreds of information
while the runners were far away, the managers had influenced some of the
boys to arrange a code of signals, to be worked by operators at the
other end of the two and a half mile turn.

There was a hill in plain sight of both beginning and turn. On this a
pine tree had been stripped of its branches; and a clothes line
stretched to a pulley near its top. When the first runner turned the
half-way stake a boy right on the ground would wave a certain flag, so
that the lads up on the hill could see it.

On their part they were to run up a flag of a similar color to tell the
waiting throng which school was in the lead at the half-way post. Then,
when a second contestant came along, his advent would a