“It hardly seems possible that I’ve won at last,” said Bert. “I wasn’t sure that Hayward hadn’t beaten me in, until I heard the crowds cheering.”
“Oh, you won, all right,” Dick assured him, “but you didn’t have much time to spare. I just heard somebody say that Hayward got in not five minutes ago. I’ll bet he nearly went crazy when he heard that you’d beaten him in spite of his crooked work.”
“Well, when I learned what kind of a fellow he was, I just had to beat him,” said Bert, with a smile.
Dick and Tom took charge of his machine, and stored it safely in the local agency, where it was immediately hoisted into the show window and excited much attention.
By the time they returned to the hotel, Bert had answered the questions of a number of newspaper men, taken a much-needed bath, and dressed.
In his well-fitting clothes, that set off his manly figure, he looked a very different person from the dusty, travel-stained young fellow he had been but a short time before, and he was delighted to feel that for a little while he was “out of uniform.”
But Tom and Dick immediately collared him, and, as he professed himself “fresh as a daisy,” took him out to see some of the town. They had not gone far before they were recognized by one of the riders who had formed Bert’s “Bodyguard” during his ride to the mayor’s office. He introduced himself as John Meyers. Nothing less than their immediately paying a visit to his club would satisfy him, they found, so at last they gave in and told him to “lead on.”
The other laughingly complied. “It isn’t far from here,” he assured them, “and if you like our looks we’ll be glad to have you stay to dinner. After that, if you’re not too fagged, a few of us will be glad to take you around and show you the sights. We’re all proud of it, and we want visitors to see it.”
“That programme listens good,” replied Bert, “and we’re ‘on,’ as far as the dinner goes. After that, though, I think I’ll be about ready to turn in. I was riding all last night, and I feel like sleeping without interruption for the next week.”
“Well, that’s just as you say,” agreed Meyers, “but here we are now. Pretty nifty building, don’t you think?”