“All right, I’ll do it, then!” Hugh exclaimed, with a look of sudden determination.  “Expect me back later on, old fellow!  Bye-bye!  Don’t try to do too much, and hurt yourself worse!”

With these words he sprang away.  “Just” Smith gave him a parting cheer, that must have come a bit hard, owing to the pain he suffered, and also the bitter disappointment that wrung his boyish and ambitious heart.

Hugh had but one thought now, which was to speed along at such a clip as to allow him to finally overtake and pass the treacherous Nick, and leave him in the lurch.  The spur of punishing the other for such dastardly conduct was apt to prove an incentive calculated to add considerably to Hugh’s running.

Nick had the advantage, since he must be well on the way to the main thoroughfare by now; and once that was gained there was a clear field ahead of him.  But one more registering station remained, and that was at a certain turn on the way home.  Then would come the final three miles, with the pace increasing constantly, as those in the lead vied with each other to get ahead, or to retain that proud position.

Hugh quickly regained the mastery over his aroused feelings.  He must stay cool and collected so as to do exactly the right thing at the right time.  A little slip in the way of judgment was likely to lose him the race, for he now learned as he gained the main road, that there were not only one but two competitors ahead of him.

Yes, the fleet-footed Whipple had somehow managed to spin along over the ground, and was now not far behind Nick Lang.  Possibly the fellow from Allandale had also secretly examined the course and discovered a cut-off on his own account, through means of which he anticipated gaining a great advantage over all the other runners in the Marathon.

Hugh now set out to make steady gains.  He must be within a certain distance of those two fellows by the time the last stretch was reached, or else all his hope of overtaking and passing them would be lost.

He found that his powers of endurance and speed had not been misjudged, for they responded nobly when called upon for a further spurt.  Now, he was greatly lessening the distance separating him from Whipple; who, in turn, seemed able to hold his own with Nick.

The latter began to show the first signs of distress when they were at the beginning of the last two miles.  He looked over his shoulder, and no runner ever is guilty of such an unwise proceeding unless his heart has commenced to be filled with grave doubts as to his being a winner.

Again did Hugh notice Nick doing this, and he took fresh courage from the circumstance.  Yes, and looking more closely he also saw that Nick was not running true to form any longer; he had begun to wobble more or less, as though unable to continue on in a straight line.  That was another bad sign, since it causes the runner to cover unnecessary ground; and also indicates a weakening heart.