At last he reached the turning point. Peter Prytz, who kept the time there, laughed uproariously.
“That was awfully well done, Johnny Blossom! Only twelve minutes.”
What a shame, what a shame that he should be the poorest rider of all! On the way back he whipped Bob so that the horse finally ran, puffing, coughing, and stumbling along.
All the boys laughed and shouted hurrah when Johnny got back to the starting point. How disgusting it was to have people make fun of you!
“Bob breathed so,” said Johnny Blossom.
“Is it anything to worry about when a horse breathes?” scoffed Gunnar Olsen. “He breathed like a bellows when I rode, but yet I took only eight minutes and four seconds.”
“Six seconds, you mean,” said Otto.
“No, four, exactly.”
“It was six.”
“It was four.”