d fascination
of her way of looking at him.

"Cheese it," said Snorky shaking his head.

"This is different."

"Whoa, old horse, whoa!"

"Snorky, old gal," said Skippy, who had now settled down into the
predatory vision Miss Vivi had artfully evoked, "it's easy when you know
the game."

"And what's the game?"

"Don't get tagged."

"Elucidate."

"Keep 'em running after you. It's the first one who runs away who wins
every time."

"Oh, simple as that?"

"Sure, that's all there is to it."

"Let 'em love you, eh?"

"Oh well," said Skippy modestly, but as he sought his bed he stole a
satisfied glance into the mirror.

CHAPTER XXXVI

SPLASHING WITH YOUR TOES

FOR the next six days Skippy was a very busy young man. He had a
reputation to sustain. The reputation was quite unjustified but that did
not alter matters. Miss Balou had given it to him and Miss Balou must
not be disappointed. In the shifting comedy of life, Skippy was now cast
for the part of the Demon Rusher. In those early ambling days before the
automobile and the aeroplane had brought their escape valves for human
energy, the steam pressure of youth sometimes found expression in what
was known as the rush. As the name implies the object of the male
participant was to carry all before him in cyclonic style, to dazzle and
overwhelm the breathless and bewildered lady by the blinding rapidity of
his showered attentions. By mutual consent nothing binding was ever
implied in this form of acrobatic sentiment and the knell was sounded
when either party paused for breath. When a rush began all bystanders
withdrew as a matter of etiquette and waited for the dust to subside,
much as, in the Simian days of the race, the lesser monkeys sat on a
branch and hugged themselves when the big monk came courting.

Skippy borrowed a bicycle and departed from the home of his chum
directly after breakfast, having likewise borrowed various brilliant
bits of manly luxury which flashed from his ankles, his neck and his
breast pocket. At exactly nine o'clock as though by accident Miss Vivi's
trim figure daintily balanced on the smartest of "Safety" bicycles
appeared from the Balou driveway and the following brilliant opening
occurred.

"Why, Jack. What are you doing up so early?"

"Can't you guess?"

"Where are you going!"

"Same place you're going."

"Who asked you?"

"You're going to."

"How d'you know."

"Somebody's eyes have told me so," said S