It would have been exhausting if carried out too long. But now, on what was left of the home stretch, it acted almost like pumping oxygen into his lungs.
Swiftly the distance melted.
"Hurrah!" rang the yell. "There goes Prescott ahead!"
Not only ahead, but gaining in the lead. Five yards to the good, then ten, twelve, fifteen. Dick Prescott shot over the finish line a good eighteen yards ahead. Then the victor came to a stop, panting but happy.
Five minutes later, when all the congratulations were over, he skated up beside Laura Bentley.
"You saved my skates for me, Laura, and brought me luck all through.
I want you to have the first ride on that toboggan."
CHAPTER XXI
THANKS SERVED WITH HATE
It didn't take long for the Gridley boys who were most interested in athletics to figure up that three out of the eight prizes offered had gone to the freshman class.
More than that, the three freshmen winners were all members of the firm of Dick & Co., Limited.