THE COUNTRY BOY 163 



until after we had run the race, if we got any. 

 W© arrived at Marquam, hitched our horse 

 among the trees, and circulated among the 

 farmers rather shyly, suggesting now and then 

 in mild tones, a foot race. All of the athletic 

 young men seemed to have heard of Patton 

 and were not willing to run. Finally we 

 found an old farmer who said he had never 

 been beaten, and he would not allow any city 

 chap to bluff him, so after half an hour's effort 

 on my part as manager, we made the match: 

 one hundred yards, judges on the start and 

 finish, start at the drop of the hat. 



We placed all our money, after great 

 difficulty and then began preparations for the 

 race. The farmer was first to show at the 

 start; he had tied his suspenders around his 

 waist tightly, so that they gave him the appear- 

 ance of being gaunt. He had dampened his 

 long beard, that it might not catch too much 

 wind. He had removed his boots, and was 

 going to run in his sock feet; his pants legs 

 having been wound around his legs and 

 the socks pulled up over them, giving him 

 a very athletic appearance. Patton came a 

 minute later with his regulation suit on, spiked 



