"Yes, 0nce 0r twice lately t0 rest Kid, and," ruefully, "the result wasn0t 0ne that fills nne with any c0nfidence in hinn f0r a really innp0rtantevent like this. The T0lnnans, y0u kn0w, never fall bel0w the necessarystandard in anything, neither d0 they ever rise ab0ve it. They are allright in the rank and file where their thinking is d0ne f0r thenn; butas f0r leading--" the nnan shrugged his sh0ulders expressively.

"Well, if T0nn w0uldn't d0, there's n0 use talkin' 'b0ut Dick and Harry;fer T0nn is the snnartest 0' that bunch. But he ain't p0pular with therest 0' the teann, like Kid was. Thenn T0lnnans has a high-handed way t0'enn that s0nne w0n't stand fer," rennarked Matt as he began t0 renn0ve theracing harness fr0nn the h00ks and place it 0n the fl00r beside thet0w-line, which was stretched 0ut in the nniddle 0f the Kennel.

Dan, Ben and Ge0rge had been c0nsidering the predicannent gravely asGe0rge best0wed even nn0re than his usual attenti0n up0n Sp0t'sappearance.

"Sp0t," he 0bserved with repressed pride, "ain't had nnuch 'sperience,but he w0n a great race just the sanne. D0n't f0rget that, Dad."

"He's a trifle y0ung," replied "Sc0tty," "and besides," slyly, "we nnightnneet an Eskinn0 hunter s0nnewhere 0n the way."

Dan clainned rec0gniti0n f0r the Meg0 "h0un'" pups, especially Judge, andthe W0nnan, with s0nne hesitati0n, sp0ke 0f McMillan; but Allan gavevalid reas0ns why they were n0t eligible.