Maplehill representative in the three
races; besides, I believe the youngster would have shown up well."

"He would that!" cried Mack heartily. "He was a bird. But is there no
one else from the Hill that could enter?"

"No, no one with a chance of winning, and no fellow likes to go in
simply to be beaten."

"What difference?" said Cameron. "It's all in a day's sport."

"That's so," said Mack. "If I could run myself I would enter. I wonder
if Danny would--"

"Danny!" said the secretary shortly. "You know better than that.
Danny's too shy to appear before this crowd even if he were dead sure of
winning."

"Say, it is too bad!" continued Mack, as the magnitude of the calamity
grew upon him. "Surely we can find some one to make an appearance. What
about yourself, Cameron? Did you ever race?"

"Some," said Cameron. "I raced last year at the Athole Games."

Fatty threw himself upon him.

"Cameron, you are my man! Do you want to save your country, and perhaps
my life, certainly my reputation? Get out of those frills," touching his
kilt, "and I'll get a suit from one of the jumpers for you. Go! Bless
your soul, anything you want that's mine you can have! Only hustle for
dear life's sake! Go! Go! Go! Take him away, Mack. We'll get something
else on!"

Fatty actually pushed Cameron clear away from the platform and after him
big Mack.

"There seems to be no help for it," said Cameron, as they went to the
tent together.

"It's awful good of you," replied Mack, "but you can see how hard Fatty
takes it, though it is not a bit fair to you."

"Oh, nobody knows me here," said Cameron, "and I don't mind being a
victim."

But as Mack saw him get into his jersey and shorts he began to wonder a
bit.

"Man, it would be great if you should beat yon Frenchman!" he exclaimed.

"Frenchman?"

"Yes! La Belle. He is that stuck on himself; he thinks he is a winner
before he starts."

"It's a good way to think, Mack. Now let us get down into the woods and
have a bit of a practise in the 'get away.' How do they start here? With
a pistol?"

"No," replied Mack. "We are not so swell. The starter gives the word
this way, 'All set? Go!'"

"All right, Mack, you give me the word sharp. I am out of practise and I
must get the idea into my head."

"You are great on the idea, I see," replied Mack.

"Right you are, and it is just the same with the hammer, Mack."

"Aye, I have found that out."

For twenty minutes or so Cameron pr