On either side the banks rose eight or ten feet, and very steep, and beyond was a sharp curve. Archie made his horn speak angrily, as once more he came abreast of his rival, favored by the fact that Mayer had struck a strip of newly repaired and soft roadway some yards long. A second later he was leading.

"Pull up!" he bellowed hoarsely, crouching forward over his tiller still lower. He dropped his hand to the emergency brake. The cut was not six rods off.

Once more the girls cried out, but this time in shrill fear. Miss Herron remained calm as the Sphinx. "Honk!" from Mayer, and the click of levers.

His machine slid along in a cloud of dust. "You win!" It was ten minutes before the victors exchanged a single word. They rattled over the long bridge, steered up the streets of Oldport to the place where the Daughters were in session.

Then Archie lay back with a sigh. "You weren't scared a bit!" he exclaimed, frankly doleful. The old lady straightened her hat, lightly brushed off the top layer of dust from the front of her dress, then gave the briefest of queer little laughs.