CHAPTER XXVI 

THE SKATING RACE 

For nearly half a mile Peter Slade kept the lead with ease, but then his breath began to fail him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw both Larry and Dick crawling up. 

"No, you don't!" he muttered, and put on a fresh burst of speed that increased his lead by two yards. 

"Peter Slade is going to win!" 

"See how he is running away from the others!" 

So the cries arose and it certainly looked as if the youth mentioned could not possibly be defeated. 

But now both Larry and Dick "dug in for all they were worth," as they themselves expressed it. While there was yet a quarter of a mile to be covered Dick made a spurt and ranged up alongside of his chum. 

"Sorry, but I've got to go ahead!" he cried, gaily. 

"Come on, we'll both go!" yelled Larry, good naturedly, and then the pair put on a fresh effort and in a moment ranged up on either side of Peter Slade. 

"Hullo, they are in a line!" 

"There goes Larry Colby ahead!" 

"Dick Rover is going with him!" 

"Say, but that is skating, eh? Just look at Dick strike out!" 

"Sandwick is coming up, too!" 

"And so is Marley!" 

The last reports were true. The fourth and fifth boy were now directly behind Slade. As Dick and Larry shot ahead, still side by side, Sandwick overtook Slade and so did Marley. In the meantime the sixth boy had lost a skate and dropped out. 
what did he see when he looked behind him?
Looking over his shoulder, he saw both Larry and Dick crawling up