Thus spoke Sam, as soon as he could get a hearing.

“Well, if that isn’t beastly!” cried Franell, in apparent surprise.  “I knocked him over!  Why the little clown plumped right into me!

“Were you running on your side of the path?” questioned George Strong.

“I was, sir.  Flapp and Pigley can prove it.”

“That’s right, Mr. Strong,” said Lew Flapp.

“It was entirely Rover’s fault,” added Pigley.  “He didn’t keep to the right as he should.”

The other runners were questioned, but could give no testimony, as they had not been close enough at the time of the collision.

“It is too bad it happened,” said Captain Putnam.

“I would have won if it hadn’t been for the fall,” said Sam bitterly.  “I was in the lead.”

“Yes, but you were about winded,” said Flapp.  “I saw you getting groggy.  That’s what made you fall into Franell, I guess.”

This remark made the youngest Rover more angry than ever.

“Mr. Strong,” he said, turning to the head teacher suddenly, “will you do me a favor?”

“What do you wish, Rover?”

“Will you time me if I run that race over again.

“You mean to run it over alone?”

“Yes, sir—­unless Flapp will run against me.”

“I’ve won the race and that’s all there is to it,” grumbled the tall boy doggedly.

“Certainly I’ll time you, if you wish it,” said Mr. Strong, who saw how disappointed Sam was.  “But it won’t be a race, you know.”

“I don’t care—­I want to show them what I can do.”

“Very well.”

Sam drew up to the mark and declared himself ready.

“Shall I run with you?” asked Tom.  “Just to urge you on, you know?”

“All right, Tom, come on.”

“Go!” cried George Strong, watch in hand and his eye on the second hand.

Away went the brothers side by side, while a cheer went up from those who had wished to see Sam win.

Tom kept close to his brother until the rounding rock was gained and here Sam compelled him to drop behind.

“Go on!” yelled Tom good-naturedly.  “Go!  I’m after you!” and he put on an extra spurt.  Sam also spurted and kept the lead by about two yards.

“Humph! that ain’t running!” muttered Lew Flapp to Rockley, but nevertheless, he was greatly disturbed.

Down the line swept the two runners with the speed of the wind, Sam keeping his two yards’ lead in spite of Tom’s efforts to overtake him.

“Won!” was the shout.  “And Tom Rover is close behind.”  And then the crowd gathered around George Strong to learn the time.

“Eight seconds better than Lew Flapp!” was the cry.  “And Tom Rover came in four seconds better!”

“That shows what Sam Rover would have done had Franell kept out of his way.”

“The race should have gone to Sam Rover!”

So the cries kept up until Captain Putnam compelled the cadets to quiet down.