Cinder Path Tales

CINDER-PATH TALES sent thehammer overninety-nine feetin his third, puttinginto the effort all the enormous strength ofwhich he was master, ayell went up from his well-wishers which did his heart good, and he came as near smiling as was possible forso surly afellow. There areno supporters on earth like an Irish crowd; they are hopeful to the last, and many an event has an Irishman won, under the inspira­ tion of the cheersof his adherents. Less loud,though not less hearty, was the applause when Mac sent the hammer one hundred and one and a fraction, in the fault­ less style I had taught him. Not the equal of Duffy in strength (for the Irishman was almost agiant inheight andgirth), he knew how to use all he had to the best advantage, and he was working himself slowly up to his best effort to follow. As I have already said,MacLeod, Duffy, and MacNab were left in the finals. Duffy was grave and quiet when he made the first of his last three throws, and grew graver yet when the measurergave him less than before, and while Sandy was doing his contortion act, twisting, jumping, and breathing hard, like a man possessed, hehad a conference with two of his principal backers who stood by themselves apart. I was feeling very comfortable, for Duffy,