152 CHASING AND RACING 



I smiled and assented. 



" Are you going to make the running ? " he asked. 



" That depends " (cryptically). 



4 Well, / shan't and I'm sure Arthur won't ; so 

 what about it ? " 



" What, indeed ? " 



Well, at any rate I knew what to expect. You 

 never saw such a barney ! All three of us, when the 

 flag fell, began as near a walking race as no matter. 

 One would think the stakes were to go, as in some 

 donkey and bicycle races, to the one which could 

 contrive to come in last ! Weasel, as was his custom, 

 at the start, was making a great show of pulling ; so 

 much so that willy nilly I was forced into the lead ; 

 but I set a pace that would have suited a sprinting 

 snail or a tricky tortoise. Of course I was wise as to 

 what were the tactics of my rivals. They were both 

 riding slow stayers, hoping that I would attempt to cut 

 them down for speed, and that they would run me out 

 of it at the finish. 



Not for your Uncle Cockie ! Not on your 

 life! 



Well, we kept up this crawl until nearing the bend 

 for home. Then, considering that the psychological 

 moment had arrived, I suddenly caught up old Weasel 

 (who was beginning to indulge in a nap) and shouted 

 an opprobrious epithet in his ear, always a sure method 

 of awakening him to his responsibilities. Imme- 

 diately, he caught hold of his bit and went hell for 



