THE SUBSTITUTE.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 2004, 21 December 1921, Page 5

THE SUBSTITUTE.

(By "Tyro," Auckland.)

The day had been cloudy, and about Ave o'clock it began to rain. Returning home from school, I had taken shelter under a shop verandah to wait for a tram when I heard a voice say, "You did the hurdles In one-fifth second under the record to-day." Theu the same voice, apparently, replied, "Did I? That's decent." I was mystified for a moment, then I laughed and, turning round, greeted two boys who, like me, were waiting for trams. They were both about 16, of the same height, breadth, thickness, circumference, and cubical contents. One of them, Dick Harman, had almost white hair; the other, Tim Garrick, had dark hair, and this fact concealed the extraordinary similarity of their features., Dick was expected to win the Senior Cup in the school sports, now a week olf. Indeed, Hammond, who had won it the previous year by rather shadymeans, was liis only dangerous rival. Tim had been tripped "accidentally" by Hammond in the last sports, and, having hurt his leg, was forbidden to enter this year. Nevertheless, he was training *ith .Dick to keep himself lit, and it was he who had made the opening remark ; We talked for some time. Tlten my tram came, and bidding them take care of themselves, I left them. The day before Sports Day was a holiday. All the competitors were resting from training, so I tried to get Dick on the telephone to ask him if he felt inclined for a game of tennis. To my consternation 1 was told that toe was. in bed with influenza. I expressed sympathy and regret and rang off. , Then I let myself go. I wept and raved and cursed. I was so disappointed that I felt physically sick. Next morning 1 nearly stayed at home —but, thank goodness, only nearly. The first race was at 10 a.m. Even at that early hour, there was a good crowd of relatives on the ground. I saw Hammond almost as soon as I 1 arrived, and told him about Dick. Hammond had been looking depressed but he cheered up wonderfully at the news. The first cup event was the Mile Championship. Hammond had expected to win this easily, but stiff handicapping allowed him third only. Then there was the 120 Yards Hurd-. les. This should have been a certain win for Dick, and I could not bear to see Hammond win it. I heard the starting pistol crack and then a shout of "Dick!" and I saw a sight which made by head whirl. There, leading, was Dick! There could be no mistake. No one else could clear the hurdles as he was doing, his fair hair waving in the wind. Clearing the last, he sprinted up to the tape and, amidst wild cheering, the timekeepers signalled a record. Hammond came second, so that they were now equal in points. Dazed, I watched Dick win race after race. He came second in the BSO Yards Championship, which was won by Hammond. Hammond won the Long Jump, and Dick the High Jump. When the competitors assembled for the last cup event —the 100 Yards Championship—the fairhaired boy was leading by ten points. "Get ready!" said the starter. "Set;" The crouching figures became tense. Crack! Hammond got a "flying start"' and lead easily for the first fifty, yards. Then Dick, running magnificently, head thrown back, body upright, knees bent in a way all his own, crept up. At 80 yards they were running neck and neck. Then Dick spurted and shot ahead. Two yards from the tape he jumped suddenly, and fell, uragging the tape down with him. A second later Hammond flashed past—second. When the race was over I ran to congratulate Dick. He was sitting up where, he had fallen. He smiled crookedly at me and said, " 'Fraid you'll have to help me to the dressing-room—it's my leg." I half carried him to the dressingroom, sat him down, and 'phoned for a taxi to take him home. He changed, and while we were waiting for the car, I asked him about the 'flu. "For goodness sake don't breathe a word to anyone about it," he said. "Dick's got it all right. I'm Tim. I couldn't let Hammond have it all his own way, so as I hadn't entered, I' used Dick's entries." "But the hair," I gasped.

Tim grinned. "Hydrogen peroxide," he said, significantly.' "It'll be all right. We've three weeks'' holiday and by that time Dick will be well and, with a hair-cut and some stuff I've got, my hair will be dark again. Here's the car. So-long." And now Hammond wants to knock my head off. It's a hard world.