st when she
wanted to back us up, and I don't believe she saw a bit of the race till
the finish. It was enough to make any chap blue. Then monsieur started
us, and kept us waiting a whole minute (it seemed like an hour) while
the second hand of his wretched watch was getting round. And then he
started us in such a rotten way that it wasn't till I saw Dig running
that I took in we were off, and coming up to the first hurdle. But soon
the fellows began to yell, and I felt better.

"Dig had the pull of me at the start, but I got up to him at the third
hurdle. He missed a step in landing, and that put him out, and we went
over the fourth and fifth neck and neck. Then I saw Violet stand up,
out of the corner of my left eye; and Smedley began to look at us too.
After that it was all right. At the sixth hurdle we both rose together,
and then I heard a crack and a grunt behind me, and knew poor old Dig
had come a cropper. Of course I had no time to grin, as I had my time
to beat. But it was very lonely doing those next three hurdles. I
didn't know how I was going, only I could swear I'd been twenty seconds
long before I got to the eighth. I nearly mulled the ninth, and lost a
step after the jump. That made me positive I'd not beaten my time; and
I had half a mind to pull up, I was so jolly miserable. However, the
fellows were still yelling, so I pulled myself together and went at the
last hurdle viciously and got clean over, and then put it on all I could
to the winning-post. I guessed I'd done it in thirty seconds, and
wished there was a pit I could tumble into at the end.

"Then Marky came and patted me on the back. `Splendid, old fellow,'
said he. `How do you mean?' said I; `ain't I licked into a cocked hat?'
`You've done it in nineteen seconds,' said he. `Go on!' said I. And
then the other fellows came up and cheered, and then Violet called out,
`Bravo, Herapath,' and Ainger said, `Run indeed, young 'un.' So I had
to believe it; and I can tell you I was a bit pleased. _J'etais un
morceau plaise_.

"I was sorry for old Dig, but he won the Shell wide jump directly
afterwards. I made a mess of the half-mile. I ought to have got it
from Smythe, of the School-house; but all I could do was to dead heat
his time. I suppose I was fagged after the hurdles. Tilbury had it all
his own way with the Shell cricket-ball, and Stafford got the senior
throw. Felgate was in against him--rather a decent chap, one of