“There’s another runner, and this time it is Frank Allen!”
“With Bones close behind him; and the field out of sight!”
“Oh! some of those fellows will be comin’ in for the next hour!” laughed Buster.
Lanky shot along the double line of shouting admirers, and breasted the tape in gallant style. And had Frank been there to notice, he would have smiled to see how the winner’s first thought was to cast a contemptuous look over to that quarter where pretty little Dora Baxter stood clapping her hands gleefully, just as though for the moment it was forgotten that she and Lanky had ever had a falling out.
Frank was delighted with the wonderful time made by his long-legged chum. Surely Lanky had improved very much since the last time they entered for a long-distance run. And if either of the rival schools could show a better runner, he would have to be a marvel indeed.
Of course the three who were to enter for Columbia were those who had come in first, second and third. The fourth did not arrive for ten minutes or more after Bones Shadduck passed the tape; and when most of the crowd had left the field the others were still showing up—some limping from stone-bruises, and others utterly fagged out from the long grind.
And if five miles could put them in this condition of exhaustion, it was very evident that they could not have a grain of hope of ever getting over the entire course of double that distance.
Lanky had gone to the dressing-room, and soon appeared in his ordinary clothes. He took his honors meekly; indeed, Frank suspected that the boy would really have cared more to hear one girl say a single word of admiration, than to hear scores load him down with praise.
But Dora had gone off with a group, and was not to be seen. Evidently she had rightly interpreted that look of scorn Lanky had thrown toward her at the moment of his triumph, as though to tell her he did not care to see her applauding anything which he might do.
“Hey! Lanky, come and go back with us to town on board the Harrapin Belle!” said Ben Allison, whacking the tall boy between the shoulders as he started off alone.