Bert Wilson in the Rockies

nger's"

ys and ranchmen from many miles around took part. All sorts of competitions were held, such as roping, throwing, target shooting, and so on. As the day drew near, it became the chief t

on the back of a horse than upon their own feet. But among the neighboring ranches there were several fair runners, and among the townspeople there were others. The last year or two a

n jubilant. They imagined they had a fair chance to win this year's event with the same runner, and Mr. M

iutes that calls themselves citize

" asked Sandy. "Did someb

he boys handed it to me. He says t' me, 'Waal, Chip, I reckon you boys on the ranc

going to happen, but we-all have a sneakin' idea that our man i

e, 'well, I got a little piece o' change that I'

bucks. 'I s'pose Jenkins, the feller that nearly pulled down the prize last year, is goi

ve got another man this year, an' a streak o' greased

I asks him, feelin' like somebod

tin' to a guy amblin' along the sidewalk with half a dozen kids taggin' at his heels, 'there's the guy what's goin' to make your runners

d tenderfoot if I didn't recognize the guy right off. I couldn't jest plac

ned Sandy, while everybody li

the Fourth o' July, only they ain't no sech institution there, them folks bein' nothin' but benighted Britishers and Frenchmen. Howsum-ever, they'd had a race, and this maverick what's pointed out to

goin' to string the guy up, only the sheriff came along jest then

king. "He might have been square, but the man that accused him probably had lost money, and may have accused him just

portin' page, an' underneath it said, 'Albert Summers, the well-known professional one-mile runner,' or words meanin' the same thing. I'd cle

nd Sandy said, "Mebbe the folks in Helena

he race are wise, all right. It looks as though I was goin' to be out fifty hard-earne

," remarked Buck; "it riles me plumb fierce t' think of anyb

this Summers, or Johnson, or whatever his name is, run, and get somebody

rprised companions, "yuh think we ought t' get a 'ring

t I've done a little running myself at times, and I think if I entered

"I seen this feller run, m' lad, and he sure is fast, I

smile. "The next time you talk to Trent or Hend

Bert's offer to run. "He's a fine lad an' all that," he opined, "but it takes more than an amateur to

lad," he said, "an' I've noticed he don't usually go around shootin' off his mouth about nothin'. Seems t' me b

mittee o' two to see Trent an' Henderson an' question them on this yere p'int. Yuh don't want to fergit thet if we could fin

tion. It was agreed that at the first opportunity Sandy and Chip should question Tom and Di

o the bunkhouse that same evening, Chip and Sandy espied Dick and Tom at no g

seeing the ranchmen beckoning to them, cantered over in their di

estioned Dick,

t. "Yuh see, it's this way. Some o' the boys has heard thet your pal, Wilson, is somethin' of a ru

. "You tell 'em, Tom," he said; "te

the Marathon run at the last Olympic games, break every college record from one to twenty-five miles, and set

to answer. "Wh-what are yuh tryin' t' hand us, anyhow," demanded Chip. "

red Dick; "if you don't

it deftly as it descended. "No wonder he seemed so confident when he offered

ly means it," remarked Dick, "but what is it all ab

d occurred that morning, and when he had fi

ed Dick; "the old sinner's never satisfied un

of pride in his voice; "if excitement won't come to him

excitedly to take the news to their companions. They burst in

s, eh? He's the feller that won the Marathon fer Uncle Sam at the Olympic games, an' we neve

owboys quieted down somewhat, and began to discuss the surprising news in every detail. Everybody was

rofessional, an' Wilson is only an amateur, no matter how good he may be. A feller thet makes a livin' out of a

ld us he held a world's record fer five miles. Waal, now, they must 'a' been lots o' professionals runnin' t

of the forthcoming race pro and con. As is usually the case in such discussions, they reached no decision,

pitable board, and Dick and Tom recounted with great mirth the

laughed Dick. "I never saw two

t have thought Bert was champion of som

en I offered to run," grinned Bert;

ompeting against each other, but in that they meet the townspeople on common ground, and it means a lot to the

ely I shall, I'll certainly do my best to win for the ranch. I don't s

Mr. Melton, "but just the same there'll be some pretty fair run

show up that crooked runner. It's such fellows as he that give the sport a bad

es, it will put you in more solid than ever with the cowboys here. They've go

ould happen to get licked," laughed Bert; "

ation much," said Dick; "you seem to have such an inveterate h

r-confident, and not waking up until it was too late. I go into anything like that with the idea that if I don't do my very b

e, I guess," admitted Dick. "But are y

keeps a fellow about as fit as he can be, anyway. I feel as though I cou

l they had discussed the forthcoming event at

boys had a promising candidate had been circulated among the neighboring ranches, and there was almost as much excitement rife on them as on Mr. Melton's. The c

. The last days of June were checked off one by one on a highly colored calendar suspended against the wall of t

rived every preparation had been made to celebrate it fittingly. Everybody on the

s not able to accompany them, as he had some pressing business affairs to attend to, but he had promised

like a crowd of school-boys out for a lark, and the boys did their full share to add to the general gaiety. The long mil

ouses were draped with flags and bunting, and in many cases

rties who had just arrived, and exchanged greetings with the many friends among them. There was an air of me

d Dick. "I guess it's because they have so few holiday

e numerous saloons were going full blast, and were doing a profitable business. Nobody is more of a spendthrift than you

d by their ride over the prairie, and then they all repaired to the scene of the first event on the entertainment

andy, "but better luck next time. Y

home ranch won their share of the honors and a little over, and were proportionately jubilant. "An' ef Wilson wins that race this arter

o had overheard this remark. "Why, that guy Wilson ain't got e

h'll realize what a plumb egreg'us idjut a feller can become by livin' in town a spell. Why, y

kiss, the sheriff, galloped up on his horse. "Here, here, boys," he exclaimed, "no hard feelin' on th

allowin' to have a scrap, but the people o' this yere

ghing. "Maybe we'll take a little of

ode off. Soon afterward the three boys left them, for they had a

was waiting for them in the l

"how do you like the way we s

e boys certainly know how to make things hum when the

into a quarrel, but their hearts are always in the right place, and they're loyal to the core. But

" smiled Bert. "Anybody that beats me to-

I've talked to in the hotel here seems to think that this Johnson is going to have

ould easily vanquish. It was, therefore, with feelings of the utmost confidence that they streamed toward the place where the race was to be held. They bantered the cowboys th

ere entered as contestants. Besides Bert and Johnson, the winner of the previous race, Jed Barnes, was to race, and two other men from neighboring ranches.

and walked out to secure seats for themselves. This was soon done,

ed, expectant throng. Suddenly a whistle blew and a few seconds afterward the runners walked out and proceeded to draw lots for th

Bert," said Tom anxiously. "I wish h

e, and seemed to be in the best of condition. Dick recalled that Bert had not gone through any special training, and was assaile

less silence the racers crouched over,

rilling picture, and the crowd cheered wildly. At first they kept well together, but they were setting a fast pace, and soon one of the men began to lag behind. But little attention was p

tators, and those who had not already done so leaped to their feet. "Wilson! Wilson!" chanted the

the rear, evidently done for as far as the race was concerned. Chip had said that Johnson could "move some," and the professional did not belie his reputation. Apparently, Bert was unable to close up the gap of near

, their champion, suddenly seemed to be galvanized into furious action. He leaped ahead, seeming to dart through the air as though equipped with wings. Johnson gave a startled glance over his shoulder, and then exerted himself to the utmost. But he might as well have stood still as far as any good it did him was concerned. Bert was resolved to make a decisive fini

ding Bert, showered praise and congratulations. Swearing joyfully, Reddy, Chip, Bud and several of the others of the cros

get his breath back, though, before you shake his hands off

ddy and the others, fought a path through the excited crowd, an

"one time there, though, we figgered he had you beaten to a stand-still. I

mitted Mr. Melton, "but I suppo

t. Just as Bert was going through the door Johnson, who had had a hard time getting through the crowd, entered. As they passed Bert said,

rst thing, but couldn't place you. It's just my luck," he continued bitterly. "If I'd had any idea who I was goi

s time. "What did he say?" inquired Tom, and Bert repeated the substance of the brief exchange of talk. "But I

ven under the auspices of the town. Everywhere were hilarious cowboys, who as soon as they recognized Bert crowded about the party and made

ompanied by such of the ranchmen as could tear themselves away so early. They straggled in singly and in couples all the

h Westerners never wavered, and the cowboys never wearied of discussing again a