Cinder Path Tales

152 CINDER-PATH TALES not in the least offended at the uncompli­ mentary language. Not that I am accus­ tomed to being addressed in other than a respectful manner, but in this case I had really brought the anger on myself intention­ ally, and I had been successful beyond my fondest hopes. As Dick disappeared behind the fence, Tom Furness swung round the corner, out for an early spin round the track. "What doyou call that? " said he, looking at themarks. " It is the biggest jump ever made by man," I answered solemnly. "A jump from the hard ground, either sidewise or backward," said Tom ; " nothing but wings could carry aman from the joist to those marks." " Look them over," I said, " before you question them." Well, to make a long story short, the marks told their own tale; the ground was unbroken except by his feet, for there had been a shower the nightbefore. There were proofs enough toconvince Tom that Dick's shoes withDick in them had run down that cinder-path, and from the joist had jumped the distance. Tom sawreadily thatthe heel prints were too deep for a short jump back­ ward, andtoo even for one sidewise. There