And as the challenge was accepted, the boys dashed away.
No more than a few yards had he gone, than Elmer Craven shouted:
“Oh, you Paul and Jerry! You’ve got the start of the rest of us. Come back and line up.”
“No. This is as fair for one of us as it is for another,” cried Pud, whose inordinate love for soda caused him to exert himself to the utmost, and during the checking of the speed as the result of Craven’s suggestion, he had taken the lead.
“Sure you think it’s fair now, Pud,” laughed Jerry, “so long as you’re ahead.”
“You’ll have to come back and line up as Elmer said or I won’t make good my offer,” declared Longback.
At this ultimatum all the boys who had started ahead checked themselves and then returned to where the offerer of the prize had scratched a mark on the ice.
With great good nature, laughing and joking with one another, the boys lined up, Harry and his two team-mates happening to be on the end where Viola and Nettie were standing.
“Who’s going to give the word to start?” demanded Snooks in a none too pleasant tone, for he was disappointed at having had to give up the lead which he had obtained over the others.
“I will,” cried Viola.