Cinder Path Tales

136 CINDER-PATH TALES what his mother hadwritten, exceptthat he omitted to say anything about winning ora first place. I askedhim if he had ever done anything inathletics, andhe said that barr­ ing a little gunning, amoderate amount of riding, andconsiderable fishing, he had done nothing at all in sports. He expressed a decided preference for the fishing, which I thought was characteristic. To my question as to whether he had any choice whateverconcerning work on track or cinder-path, he answered, none atall, except that which called for the least exertion would best suit his book. I decided that his mother had written truly whenshe said he " lacked ambition in this direction," and might have said that he lacked ambition in any other. It was surprisingthat I did not take a dislike to one who professed such a decided aversion tomanly sports,but the boywas so open and frank about itthat the impression was not at all disagreeable. After Fairfax had told his story and answered a few questions, Iordered him in a short, Yankee fashion (that seemed almost brutal compared with his easy tones) to strip and I would take his measurements. At my direction he rose slowly, went over to the corner, leisurelytook off coat and vest, and when he got down to the buff, and I