Part 5 (2/2)

”Fine, Professor! Fine!” was the cry.

”What's the prize?”

The teacher thought for a moment.

”Well, every boy likes a good pocket knife,” he said presently. ”Now, to the one who wins this race I'll give a first-cla.s.s, four-bladed, buck-handled knife. I saw some very good ones down in the hardware store at the Point, and I'll get one Monday.”

”That's splendid, Professor!” cried Jack. ”I'll do my best to win that knife.”

”You'll see that knife coming to me!” exclaimed Bill Glutts, glaring at the young captain.

Walt Baxter now called for the contestants to get ready. In a minute more the two bobsleds stood side by side, each with its load of pa.s.sengers, and with Fred ready to push one to the front and Nick Carncross ready to shove the other.

”All ready!” shouted Walt. ”One--two--three! Go!”

And away both bobsleds dashed, and the great race was on.

CHAPTER V

THE DEFEAT OF THE BULLY

”Go ahead, Jack! You've got to win!”

”Don't let 'em beat you, Bill. Put it all over those Rovers.”

”Oh, Jack, don't let them get the best of you!” cried Ruth.

”You've got to win!” screamed Martha.

”Here is where Glutts shows 'em what the _Yellow Streak_ can do!”

So the cries ran on as the two bobsleds slowly gathered momentum and started down the long slope leading to Clearwater Lake.

At the beginning Glutts had a little the better of it, because the right side of the slide seemed to be more slippery than the other. He was the first to gain the top of the nearest rise and he shot over this while Jack's bobsled was still climbing the slope.

”Hurrah! Bill Glutts is ahead!”

”He said the _Yellow Streak_ could beat any thing in this vicinity.”

”Oh, do you really think Glutts will win?” questioned Ruth anxiously, as she turned to Dan Soppinger.

”Well, I should hope not!” answered Dan.

”If he does win there will be no holding him down,” put in Ned Lowe, another chum of the Rovers. ”He'll crow to beat the band all winter.”

Forward went the two bobsleds, each steersman doing his best to guide his sled where running might be the easiest.

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