The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-09
Ne Bof1le Reading Circle

|
| him.
BILLY" came in all right, and so did
three other men. but Josephine knew
only that Nelson Scott was one, and he
had qualified for the final
why Is a handicap run In heats,
and why are they called heats?" asked
| the girl with the red roses.
"Oh, because it's according to the
rules" replied Josephine, absently.
The girl in the red roses and the girl
in the buff topcoat looked at one an
other and then the first put up her pro-
| gramme and whispered to the second,
after which both looked wise and asked
no more questions for some time.
The afternoon sped rapidly away af-
| ter this. Other events were run off,
but the appetite of the crowd was
whetted for the handicap, and there
was a comparatice lack of interest for
the next hour, albeit the sport was
good and the enthusiasm of the spec
tators seemed to communicate a mag
netism to the men on the track 1t was
shortly afte five o'clock when the time
arrived for the final contest for the
handicap. Some of the best men in the
country had qualified for the final in
the second and third heats, and every
one knew that it was a well-matche6
trial among flrst-class professionals.
The winning of heat for a final does
not alter the position of the men in the
| final, and so when they were lined up
in the ladder once more for the trial
that would decide all, the relative po-
| sition of the men was the same. Scott
was on the scratch again, but he did
not enjoy the prestige of Baird, the
local favorite, who, although he had
run "in and out" as the turf would say,
still held the popular favor-something
inexplicable, by the way, as the SUI
premacy of many a footlight queen
whose physical charms might alone ex-
plain the lack of artistic merit.
Altogether, twelve men had qualified
for the final, and the ladder" was
made up with one man on scratch and
one each at dozen different distances
up to three hundred and fifty yards.
The crowd was massed in the closest
possible space to witness the event,
and the favorites were roundly cheered
as thy took their places on the track,
but, although Scott had his share as he
went out, it was nothing in proportion
to the greeting accorded Baird.
Again the track was cleared, and a
as the men awaited the signal Jose
phine had forgotten that she might be
the object of curious scrutiny and
leaned over the edge of the box, know
ing only that all her interest was GEN.
tered in one of the men who sat mo-
tionless on his wheel. ready to shoot
from the tape like an arrow at a critl-
cal instant. Ideas jostled strangely in
her brain. Not Australia-anything
but that" she said, to herself "He
will win the race--he. must win it
but not Australia"
The last word had scarcely formed
itself in her mind when she felt a
shock from the starters pistol. The men
were off, and the final of the great
handicap race was taking place before
her eyes. Only experienced eyes could
follow the men, as they shot around the
track on the first lap of one-third of
a mile, and keep their relative posi-
tions. Stewart led; behind him came
Burrelle, Martin and Baird, in the or
der named, and they started out in a
manner that left no doubt that they
intended to set the pace for the entire
race. The eight other men followed af-
ter in. no evident haste for the first
mile or so, Scott prudently reserving
himself for developments at the end Of
the third or fourth mile.
At the end of the first mile no one
could tell what man had an advan
tage over any other man, for they
ran easily in front of the judges, stant
in a line. Scott knew that it was &
race, not merely of speed, but of en-
durance and tactics, and, while he die
not relax his gait, he kept a wary ey,
on every man ahead of him, with ev
cry muscle ready to sprint at full spec,
the instant there was necessity for it
The second mile was run much tn,
same as the first, and then the call
Of the spectators indicated that ther
was a demand for display of speed
The men began to warm up. In tn
second lap of the third mile the fou
men in the lead showed a disposition I,
creep up on each other, a frame o
mind quickly emulated by those behind
and the rivalry of the two faction
{ worked itself out so promptly that
. rapid pace was soon set. At the end o
the third mile a swift race was in pro
{ gress.
: The relative positions of the mel
r were rapidly changing, and it seemed a
J If everyone were rapidly coming up +
' his neighbor. Slowly but surely Scot
$ lessened the distance between himsel
and Richards, the man just ahead o
= him. The second lap of the fourt
mile showed that the men were racing
I for records-they passed the stan,
2 amid a shout of applause that mus
I. have stirred the blood in their veins t
t renewed effort, If they were not alread
3 making it. As they rounded into tn
l backstretch, the grand stand broke ou
: into a great cheerfor all the men sud
/, denly seemed to set new pace, an
E sprinted ahead at a gait that set tn
r spectators wild. There was a break /,
= the color line, and, as they turned tn
I corner for the final third of the fourtl
: mile, and came down the stretch at
killing pace, there was a roar tha
echoed far out beyond the track. Tn
first bunch consisting of Stewart, Bur