Reed was still exultant as a breathless crowd, pulling for the local favorite to come through, cheered mightily with Sam Hartley’s all-important take-off. Reed followed Sam’s form as it swept majestically off the incline and sailed outward over the clearing. His eyes strained with sudden concern as he noted that Sam had made a prodigious leap and was coming down close to his own record distance. Sam struck the slope, wavered, thrashed his arms violently to keep his feet, succeeded and continued on down over the bridge amid a mad tumult.
“He did it! He topped that Markham fellow’s distance!” shouted a spectator. “What ski jumping! Records being broken right and left!”
Reed felt nervous perspiration ooze out upon him. Now he had it all to do over again. This was hair-raising, blood-chilling competition. Reduced now, just to the two of them, it would be a bitter fight to the finish ... a battle with no quarter asked and no quarter given ... between North and South.
A tickled Sam Hartley, accepting congratulatory pats on the back, stationed himself below to await his Southern rival’s next jump. He waved his defiance at the figure on top of the hill. Reed Markham would have to surpass one hundred and fifteen feet to take the lead from the champ.
“I guess that finishes him!” Sam said in a low tone to overjoyed schoolmates. “But, boy—he’s made me do some tall jumping!”
Racing down the slide, determined to best his previous jumps, Reed fairly shot out into space.
“Good night!” exclaimed Sam, face sobering. “That guy’s a regular kangaroo!... Hey! Look out, kid!... Look out the way!”
It happened quickly—a couple of playful kids chasing each other across the snow and one of them directly in the path of the descending ski jumper. Reed, looking down, saw that his landing was to be fraught with peril for himself as well as the youngster. There was only one thing to do. With complete disregard for himself he twisted his body in air, hurled himself forward and, just clearing the startled kid, struck the ground on the tips of his skis, upended and rolled and slid for some feet, finally colliding with a tree, where he lay, stunned. Even so, the point of his landing was in excess of the distance Sam had made, indicating that, had he been able to come to earth without incident, Sam’s record might once more have been eclipsed.
“How are you, fellow?” asked Sam, the first one to him, sitting the dazed Reed Markham up and looking him over, anxiously.