Part 6 (1/2)

Just as Jack topped the first rise and started to speed down on the other side, he saw Bill Glutts start to resume his old tactics. The bully was running close to the center of the course, and now he overlapped the other side by at least six inches.

”Hi, there, Glutts! Get over on your side!” yelled one of the cadets who was helping to police the course.

”That's right, Bill. Get over, or you'll be disqualified,” added another.

”Keep to the right! Keep to the right!” was the cry from several others.

And then, knowing that the eyes of all the cadets in that vicinity were upon him, the bully slowly steered over to his side of the course. And he was not any too quick, for otherwise there might have been a serious disaster. Down the slope of the first hill rushed the _Blue Moon_. Jack was on his side, but had not more than six inches to spare. Had Glutts kept on as he was running the _Blue Moon_ would have sideswiped the _Yellow Streak_, and there would undoubtedly have been a serious accident.

”Here comes the _Blue Moon_!”

”Say, but they are gathering some speed!”

”Hurrah, the Rovers are ahead!”

”Go on, Glutts! Go on! Don't let 'em beat you!”

It was true that the _Blue Moon_ was now ahead and was slowly but surely increasing the distance between the Rovers and those aboard the _Yellow Streak_.

”Push her ahead, Bill! Push her ahead!” yelled Nick Carncross desperately.

”We've got to win!” cried Codfish.

”I'm doing the best I can,” muttered Bill Glutts between his set teeth, and his eyes glowed with hatred as he saw the _Blue Moon_ vanis.h.i.+ng over the second rise of the course.

After that, as Fatty Hendry remarked, ”it was all over but the shouting.” Down toward the highway skirting the lake shot the _Blue Moon_. Then it ran swiftly along the final lap of the course and came out on Clearwater Lake, shooting several hundred feet beyond the finis.h.i.+ng mark. The line was crossed while the _Yellow Streak_ was still on the roadway beyond the lake sh.o.r.e.

[Ill.u.s.tration: DOWN TOWARD THE HIGHWAY SHOT THE _BLUE MOON_.]

”Hurrah! The _Blue Moon_ wins!”

”My, but that was some run, believe me!”

”What will Bill Glutts have to say now?”

”He can't say this wasn't a fair race.”

The run for the _Blue Moon_ had certainly been a swift one, and while Jack was congratulated on his victory, he was also praised for the way in which he had handled his speedy bobsled.

”We certainly came down fast,” remarked Randy. ”I thought my ears were going to blow right off my head,” and this remark caused a general laugh.

Glutts had finished the race twelve seconds behind his opponent and was in anything but a happy frame of mind.

”There were a number of sticks and stones on my side of the slide, and they held us back,” he protested lamely. ”I guess some of the fellows who didn't want to see the _Yellow Streak_ win put 'em there.”

”I can't believe that, Glutts,” answered Major Mason flatly. ”I looked over the course, and it was just as clear on one side as it was on the other.”

”Don't be a sorehead, Bill, just because you lost,” put in Fatty Hendry.

”Be a good sport and shake hands with Jack over your defeat.”

”I'll do as I please,” roared the bully. ”I don't need any advice from you. You fellows are all against me.” And with this remark he turned his back on the crowd, and soon he and his cronies were making their way up along the lake sh.o.r.e, dragging the _Yellow Streak_ behind them.