The last mile was almost half covered when Bailey, of Broadwood, overtook them, running as though he had not already put three and a half miles behind him. Thompson accepted the challenge and the two gradually drew away from Gerald who tried to keep up with them but found it impossible. Then Felder passed slowly, turning to give Gerald a drawn but encouraging smile. And then the last turn was in sight. Gerald glanced back to see if Hiltz was dangerously near. He wasn’t, but the tall Broadwood chap who had stood beside him at the start was coming up hard. Gerald had scant idea now of figuring in the result of the contest, but since Hiltz was out of the running the newcomer offered him other rivalry. So Gerald let out another notch, more to see what he could do than for any other reason, and for awhile kept the Broadwood man behind. But Gerald didn’t care a great deal, now that he had worsted Hiltz, and so presently, when Loughan, of Broadwood, spurted, he only half-heartedly contested honors with him, being content to fall in behind and to ease up sufficiently to get some relief from the ache and pull at his tired lungs.
He expected to find, when the turn was past, that the race would be over and thought to meet his fellows homeward bound on the road. But a quite different sight met his wearied gaze. Off there at the finish the road was black with fellows and the sound of their cheering came plainly to him. His heart leaped. Perhaps, after all, he was still in the running! At least, he wouldn’t chance it. Up came his head then and his legs began to twinkle faster over the rutted road. Little by little he reduced Loughan’s lead, delighted to find that he still had strength and breath in his tired, aching body. Quite clearly now the wild, imploring cheers of Yardley and Broadwood reached him and he no longer doubted that something, whether much or little he didn’t know, depended on his beating that boy ahead.
The finish was barely a hundred yards distant now and Gerald was almost up to Loughan, and the knowledge came to him that he was in better shape than the other and could win if the distance was only great enough. And then, suddenly, the other bounded forward and in half a dozen strides had opened up as many yards between them. Gerald with a gasp called every muscle and ounce of remaining strength into play and spurted gallantly after him. But the line was coming toward them fast and the distance between blue ribbon and green shirt lessened but slowly. And yet lessen it did, for the Broadwood man had shot his last bolt, and shot it too early, and ten yards from the line Gerald was even with him.
The air was full of sound, deafening, thunderous. Gerald set his eyes on the line and strove to draw away from that bobbing blur of green beside him. Three strides—another—and the green was still there, although how he knew it he couldn’t have told, since his eyes never left the finish in all that final agonizing effort. Another stride—and another—and there was a new note in the bedlam of sound. The blur of green was no longer there and the finish line was under foot! If only he could keep his legs a moment, an instant longer. But it was no use! He felt his limbs giving way beneath him; he struggled for breath and fell forward, groping blindly.
But eager arms caught him beyond the line, and at a little distance, Alf, trying hard to keep his pen steady, was setting down the final score:
Yardley, 52; Broadwood, 53.
Gerald had won the Cross-Country by one point.
| SUMMARY | |||
| Yardley | Broadwood | ||
| 1 | Goodyear | 1 | |
| 2 | Scott | 2 | |
| 3 | Maury | 3 | |
| 4 | Crossett | 4 | |
| 5 | Andrews | 5 | |
| 6 | Wagner | 6 | |
| 7 | Sherwood | 7 | |
| 8 | Holder | 8 | |
| 9 | White | 9 | |
| 10 | Thompson | 10 | |
| 11 | Bailey | 11 | |
| 12 | Felder | 12 | |
| 13 | Pennimore | 13 | |
| 14 | Loughan | 14 | |
| —— | —— | ||
| Total | 52 | 53 | |