Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-06-01

| SoPSSpAO' ing oUone GS BOB "
the neighbors said, and you'll hit
Henry" The best of feeling, for that
matter, prevailed among ali the con
testantS
With one hand Squire Tonsvil held q
huge red bandana handkerchief At
arm's-length, while with the other he
held his timepiece, which he regarded
intently.
Suddenly the handkerchief nuttered
and dropped Before the stentorian
'"Gof" from the squire had reached the
air, ten figures were gliding swiftly .
dozen yards away.
The spectators, silent before, set MP
q great shout Each competitor had
so many friends on the bank that moth
ing but q medley of yells could be
heard
Sam Williams, with splendid rush,
SKINNED by the others, who. though
going at fast pace, were skating
steadily. Williams friends howled
with delight
The cheering proved too much for
viii Walters, Joe Howard and Harvey
Simms. 1t excited them to undue eff
fort at the start They forged ahead,
too, and before half mile was COW
cred they were abreast of Sam.
Except for the sharp ring of the
skates on the ice, everything was 81
lent The shouts of the anxious
friends at the starting-poin were now
hushed. The skaters were out of sight
at the bend
Struggling little now, the racers
made no noise. All their energies
were needed in their work. They had
no breath to spare. With Bonded bod
les they swung steadily forward, with
| long, muscular strokes.
Once only little excitement was
caused Sam Williams, still going at
faster pace than was wise, caught
his skate III protruding twiR He
fell heavily and slid several yards.
He was on his feet in an instant, and
with a forced rush reached his former
place at the head. The fall, however,
had hurt his knee; and that, combined
with the exhaustion produced by his
sudden squirt, was fatal to his chances.
He was winded when the turning point
| was reached
In response to cheers and ''catcalls''
Of those gathered at this point Will
Bams called up all his force and forged
ahead for about hundred yards more.
But STEADY and sure" is better
motto than make haste" It was but
a short time after this before the Tracy
boys and Jack Hilliard, who had never
varied their fsst but steady stroke,
came on In bunch, each stroke send
ing them nearer and nearer the four
struggling skaters at the front
These four were now going as fast
as they could, and with breath coming
and going in gasps, bodies bent low
and arms swinging. were Swimming
with great swiftness over the ice toward
the goal, which was now about two
miles away.
Nearer and nearer came the racers
to the starting point They were now
punched" At distance It could not
be seen who was ahead
Suddenly out of the group darted
three tall figures, closely followed by
three more.
Now the skates Glinted and CLEANED,
and across the pond to the silent, ex-
pectant watchers-who, with too great
eagerness, had crowded across the
point marking the stsrt-came the
swift, soft sound of the skates as they
touched the ice.
Sam Williams, Joe Howard, VIII
Walters and Harvey Simms, the four
who had rushed at the start, were fall
ing farther and farther back with each
second. They became aware that the
race, to them, was lost, and were max
Ing no attempt to win It now.
AS the flying group came closer
Jack Hilliard, in his gaudy college
jersey, could be seen In the lead, whi1e
close enough behind him to touch him
were Bob and Henry Tracy. John,
George and James Tracy were ten feet
farther back.
just when Jack, Henry and Bob-for
1t was evident that one of them would
win-were skating their best, and call
ing up that wonderful thing called
second wind" the crowd began to
fall back. They had discovered that
they were covering the line.
The skaters were almost upon them.
Henry had drawn q little ahead OF
Jack, when suddenly, with body bent
almost double, Bob glided between
them and took the lead.
AAOAA - oSeSA SAAh6 SAAAAk OSSAAEOOs - 0
crowd was dissolving like smoke In Q
wind; and as the last group broke and
ran, little girl not more than FIVE
years old was left standing unnoticed,
holding by q rope low sled. She had
been overlooked In the general scram-
BILE. UnmOvipg, unconscious that she
was in deadly danger. she Gazed calm
ly at the three skaters who were al
most upon her
Bob. in his bent position, did not SEQ
her. All his concentrated force and
attention were in his leRA
= little gasping cry from Henry, who
said afterS:ard: 81 wonder now where
1 got the wind rom" warned Bob.
who quickly raised his head
He was too close to turn He c0nh
not stop The crowd on shore were
setting up tardy cry. II looked as If
he must crash into the child She be-
gan to laugh, for her mind still real
lied no danger.
Quick as thought Bob stopped,
caught the child in his arms and raised
her up Then he sprang desperately
into the air In an endeavor to clear the
sled, but caught his,toe in the dangling
rope, and went down like shot
While he was In the air he made an
agile turn which brought him down
heavily upon his back. This saved the
child who Rugged close to his breast.
Like an arrow he slid, head first,
with his burden, stunned and bruised,
across the line-the winner.
Behind him all was confusion. jack
and Henry had swerved slightly to one
side, just in time to take choppers"
over the sled, which was flung by
Bobs fail directly I. front of their
skates.
Henry went first After him, and on
top, went Jack; and then-it was 80
sudden that they could not escape the
general downfall-in bunch went the
three Tracy boys.