along had been neck and neck, were
up to him and past him, and by the end of the lap the new boy had also
overtaken him.

And now we became considerably more interested in the progress of this
new boy, who, it suddenly occurred to us, seemed to be going very
easily, which was more than could be said of red, who was dropping a
little to the rear of black. A big boy near me said, "That fellow's got
the wind of a balloon," and I immediately began to think he was not far
wrong. For in this third lap, when two of the others were slacking
pace, and when the third was only holding his own, the new boy freshened
up remarkably. We could watch him crawl up gradually nearer and nearer
to red, till a shout proclaimed him to be second in the running. But
black was still well ahead, and in the short space left, as the big boy
near me said, "He could hardly collar his man."

But see! The fellow is positively beginning to tear along! He seems
fresher than when he started. "Look out. Black!" shout twenty voices.
All very well to say, "Look out!" Black is used up, and certainly
cannot respond to this tremendous spurt. Thirty yards from home the new
boy is up to his man, and before the winning-post is reached he is a
clear ten yards ahead.

"Bellows did it," said the big boy; "look at his chest"; and then for
the first time I noticed where the secret of this hero's triumph lay.

But, horrors! the next race is Number 12, and Slipshaw and I scuttle off
as hard as we can go, to get ready.

How miserable I felt then! I hated athletic sports, and detested
"three-legged races." As we emerged from the tent, we and the other two
couples, ambling along on our respective three legs, a shout of laughter
greeted our appearance. I, for one, didn't see anything to laugh at,
just then.

"Adams," said Slipshaw, as we reached the starting-place, "take it easy,
old man, and mind you don't go over."

"All right," said I, feeling very much inclined to go over at that
instant. Then that awful starter began his little speech.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Not at all," inwardly ejaculated I.

"Off!" he cried; and almost before I knew where I was, Slipshaw and I
were hopping along on our three legs amid the cheers of the crowd.

"Steady!" said he, as I stepped out rather _too_ fast.

Alas! we were last. The other two couples were pounding along ahead at
a wonderful pace.

"Steady!" growled Slipshaw again, as I began to try to run,