“Hey, Fred, want some fun?” he shouted.
Fred did, and he and Polly ran over to where Harry stood.
“Joe Anderson wants a race,” said Harry. “He thinks your sled is probably the fastest on the hill, next to his. Want to try a race?”
“Sure,” answered Fred, quickly. “I’m willing.”
The news of the proposed race spread in a moment, and a crowd of boys and girls gathered around Fred and Joe.
“Go to it, Fred,” some cried. “You can win.”
“Joe has the best sled,” others insisted. “No one can win against that flier. It’s a peach.”
“Oh, I don’t know—Fred can get a lot of speed out of his old boat,” said one of the boys.
Albert Holmes sniffed.
“Old boat, is right,” he said. “It’s about fifty years old.”