"I say," said one of the Dublin boys, "why don't you put up the stake before we start?"
"The stake is all right," said Phaeton, just glancing over his shoulder at it.
"Who's holding it?" said the Dublin boy.
"Don't you see, the ground is holding it?" said Phaeton, arranging the sand-bags.
"Oh, don't try to get out of it in that way," said the Dublin boy.
"I don't understand you," said Phaeton. "What do you mean?"
"Didn't you say," said the Dublin boy, "you'd give a dollar to any boy that could beat your machine in a mile run?"
"No," said Phaeton. "I have never said anything of the sort—nor thought of it. Who told you so?"
"Lukey Finnerty."
"And who told Lukey Finnerty?"