CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
CHALLENGING THE RECORD.
On the Monday before Railsford's sports, Ainger and Barnworth sat rather dismally conning a document which lay on the table between them.
It was Smedley's report of the School sports held the Saturday before, and was sufficiently alarming to dishearten any ordinary reader.
"`The Mile Race.

Smedley 1, Branscombe 2.

Time 4 minutes 50 seconds.' Whew!" said Ainger, "I can't beat that; 4.52 is the shortest I've done it in, and I doubt if I could do that again." "Fiddlesticks! If you don't do it in 4.48 you deserve to be sent home to the nursery.

But do you see Branscombe gave up before the end?
That's odd.

I rather thought he was the better man of the two." "Branscombe seems to be down on his luck altogether this term," said Ainger.