“He’s welcome to chase around after me as often as he pleases,” said Hugh; “much good will it do him, I’m thinking.  But tell me, why should he go to all that bother, when my going out and coming-in don’t interfere with his happiness a whit?”

“Hugh, Nick is on to your scheme for making use of that short-cut across by way of the old deserted quarry!”

“You don’t tell me?” Hugh observed.  “Well, I came near speaking to him about it myself, Thad.  You see, Nick is entered for the Marathon, just the same as a number of other Scranton High boys are.  If K.K., Just Smith, and several other fellows are to have the benefit of that cutoff, if they choose to avail themselves of it, why shouldn’t Nick be included, I’ve been asking myself?  Yes, and I’d about concluded it was my duty to let him know; but if, as you say, he’s found out for himself I’ll be saved all the bother of telling.”

“He followed you across yesterday, Hugh.  By a mere accident I heard him telling Tip Slavin, and he seemed to think it a good joke, because you never once suspected he was spying on you from behind trees and bushes.  Why, he says he followed you clear across to the road again.”

Hugh shrugged his shoulders.

“Then I give Nick full credit for carrying out a clever piece of business.  I never once remember suspecting that anybody was around.  But, Thad, what’s worrying you?  There isn’t anything about that discovery to excite you.”

“Hugh, that boy means to do something mean, and it’s got a connection with the short-cut quarry road in the bargain!”

Hugh turned and looked at the speaker a little gravely.

“I suppose now you’ve got some good reason for making that accusation, Thad?” he ventured.

“Yes, I have,” came the quick reply.  “I heard him say something to that other sneak which I couldn’t just catch, but it started Tip laughing like everything.  He slapped a hand down on his knee, and went on to say:  Fine, Nick, finer than silk!  I bet you he’ll be as mad as hops if he finds himself caught in such a trap, and loses the race.  You can depend on me every time.  My affair comes off right in the start, and I can easy get out there on my wheel long before the first runner heaves in sight.  I’ll coach Pete Dudley in his part, just as you were saying.  It’s the greatest trick you ever hatched up, Nick, the very greatest!  Now, you can judge for yourself, Hugh, whether it’s safe for you to try to cross by that same quarry road when the big Marathon race is on.”

Hugh seemed lost in thought for a brief interval.  When he spoke again there was a settled look of grim determination on his face that Thad could easily understand, knowing the other as well as he did.

“It isn’t my way to show the white feather when the first cold wind starts to blowing, Thad, and no matter what Nick is planning to do I’m not going to give him the first chance to profit by my discovery of that short-cut route from road to road.”