For a time after the two young men had departed from Winthrop, and had
made their way up the road that led along the steep hillside, the
exhilaration of the bracing air and the superb view had made Will keenly
alive to the beauties of the surrounding region. A soft halo covered the
summits of the lofty hills, and the quiet of the valley was almost as
impressive as the framework of the mountains. Mott too had been
exceedingly pleasant in all that he had said, and Will was almost
beginning to feel that he had misjudged his companion, and that his
reputation was worse than the fellow himself.

They had now left the hillside road and were once more in the valley and
not far from the village they were seeking.

"I hear you're quite a fair sprinter," suggested Mott, as they
proceeded.

"I do a little," assented Will, laughing lightly as he spoke.

"Where did you run?"

"On the high school team."

"What high school?"

"Sterling."

"Run against the other schools in the league?"

"Yes," replied Will, wondering how it was that Mott happened to know of
the existence of the league.