Part 34 (2/2)

”As I didn't win, all the further events are postponed!”

There was stupefied silence for a few moments. Grown people and the students looked from one to another. Then a guffaw started that swelled to a chorus of laughter.

”The next event on the card,” called Ben, satisfied with the effect of his joke, ”is the free-for-all fancy skating event. The contestants will come before the judges one at a time. Each entrant is limited to two minutes, actual time.”

There should have been some girls entered in this event, but there were none. Six H.S. boys from the different cla.s.ses came forward.

”Fred Ripley loses his chance,” muttered some one.

”He _had_ his chance. A fellow who prefers to skate into the freeze is counted out,” replied Thomp.

Just as the contestants were moving out Greg Holmes came hurrying down to the ice.

”Am I too late?” he called.

”Not if you think you've got anything good,” replied Badger.

Greg promptly proceeded to put on his skates, covertly watching the performance of the first fellow to show off. It was good work that Greg watched, but he thought he could beat it.

”You'll have to go last on the list,” nodded Ben, as Greg came skating up.

Greg merely nodded, though inwardly he grinned. ”That just suits me,” he told himself. ”The fellow who skates last will be freshest in the minds of the judges.”

When it came Greg's turn he avoided most of the fancy figures that the other fellows had shown off amid much applause. Still, Greg showed a bewildering a.s.sortment of ”eights,” ”double-eights”

and some magnificent work along the ”turn promenade” order that Ripley had been doing before the accident.

Then Greg came in, promenading backward on his skates.

”I'm going to fall,” he called to the judges, ”but it will be intentional.”

”Fall it is, then,” nodded Sam Edgeworth, one of the judges.

Greg was moving jauntily along, still doing the backward promenade.

Suddenly one of his skates appeared to catch against the other.

Down went Greg, backwards. Despite his announcement the moment before, a sympathetic murmur went up from many of the onlookers.

But Greg, sitting down suddenly as he did, pivoted around like a streak. Throwing his hands back of his head, he sprang to his feet. At the first he was doing the forward promenade. The whole manoeuvre, including the fall, had occupied barely four seconds.

Now, wheeling into the back promenade Greg glided before the judges.

”Time,” called the holder of the watch.

”I'm willing,” nodded Greg. ”And I'm willing any contestant who wants should try my stunt before the verdict is given.”

The conference between the judges did not last long and Greg got the decision.

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