the first quarter post. There Bob forged ahead slightly, and there was a
cheer from his excited friends. Then he lagged, and Banbury got the lead,
and his cohorts gave out ringing huzzahs.

"What's wrong?" uttered Ned breathlessly, as Banbury, with a jump and
kicking up his heels derisively at the Ritchie group, shot by the starting
post on the second spurt with Bob fully ten yards to the rear.

"Bob is lamed," said Frank in consternation. "See, he's limping."

"Go it, Bob!" yelled the voices of a dozen loyal friends.

Bob looked haggard and unfit. One foot dragged, and he acted like a person
in acute pain. At the encouraging word, however, he braced up, made a
prodigious spurt, but at the end of fifty yards hobbled and fell flat.

A cry of dismay went up from the Ritchie crowd, while Banbury's adherents
made the air echo with delirious shouts of triumph.

Suddenly, however, Bob was on his feet again and off down the course like
an arrow.

"He's thrown off his shoes. What's up, I wonder?" spoke Ritchie.

"He's gaining!"

"He's up to him!"

"Past him--huzzah!"