The Masco! qf Elmwood Hall.
not have been desired. The spirits of the boys rose high as
they breathed the fresh cool air of the early morning.
"Everything favorable, fellows," cried Brooks in his
cheery way, as he thrust his head out of his window,
but his face suddenly clouded and an anxious look came into
his merry eyes. "Why, what can be the matter ? Here's
Tim's mother coming at breakneck speed. Can iL be possible
our little mascot's sick?"
He had scarcely finished, when word was brought hasti
ly up that Tim was indeed very ill and could not be with
them at the race.
"011, such luck !" growled Dick Winters, "What ever
made him flunk in that style? He'll bring us all sorts of
bad luck."
"Poor little beggar," said Phil Walton, "it will cut him
worse than it will us to have to miss the race."
Great crowds, had arrived at the scene of the contest;
never had the track been in better condition and everyone
seemed filled with excitement.
The four men from Elmwood, Brooks, Winters, Wall on
and Thornton, who comprised the one mile relay team, were
in their best running order, and eager to win the four gold
watches offered as first prizes. Brooks was to run the first
quarter; and, as lie took his place with three men from rival
teams, all eyes were eagerly turned towards them. Sudden
ly the report of a pistol sounded in the still air, off they
started and soon had finished the first quarter, Brooks being
a trifle in advance of the others as lie touched the relay.
Wild cheers rang out from the Bentonites as he dropped,
weary and breathless, into the arms of the men in waiting;
but the cheers died out suddenly and were taken up by the
neighboring townspeople as Thornton, the second Elmwood
runner, fell slowly but surely back to fourth place. Groans
came from the Benton people as Walton, the third man,
started to run his quarter; by this time the crowd wits on its