454

arrived at the stuffed barrels a long distance

to the good. He seized the nearest and boldly rammed his head among the con- tents 3 but he got no further. Man after

man arrived, and, with such luck as might be more

his, wriggled through his barrel or less time, and started away again, A sooty scarccrow and apublicderision. But the first man, head and shoulders

immmersed, still strug-

oled 1 hopcless sulfocation until

everybody was hun- dreds of yards away ahead, and then it was discovered — that the miscreant carpenter, whose business it was, had forgotten to knock

the other end out Sl

of this particular i

barrel ! = The sack race,

pure and unadul-

terated, 1s a funny

spectacle enough, but when sack racers have obstacles set them beyond their sacks, truly they must work for their prizes. There are two ways of getting over the ground in a sack. One is by grabbing the loose sack tightly with the hands and jumping—both fcet together. This looks a good way, but the least inaccuracy in balance, or alighting with feet too far back or forward mn

SRV P Lo SR en”

%’Q‘*‘\?\“‘u\\(\_ : { T S ESE

THE SACK RACE—THE START.

7HEE STRAND

1Y%

THE

MAGAZINL.

the sack, means an ignominious bowl over, and much prostrate wallowing. The better way is to get a foot into cach extreme corner of the sack, pulling it tightly up in the middle, and to waddle along with quick, short steps. But if these steps be too quick, or not short cnough, disaster 1s certain. Ifor the wily sports-promoter who ruins this design by giving the competitors 7ound-

ended sacks 1s reserved the grat-

SACK RACE—TIUII ROPE OBSTACLE.,

tude of the many —spectators, and the indignation of the few — competitors. A rope across the path and a ladder laid on cdge are usually enough obstacles for un- fortunate creatures in sacks. It 1s not easy to jump over that rope and alight right end up, and therefore some turn their backs and fall over it. But then you are down, and might as well have lain down first and rolled under—which, again, some do by choice. If vou have come a cropper near the rope, this 1s the best plan, since it 1nvolves only one cetting up. The ladder, too, may be jumped or tumbled over, but 1 the latter case it 1s uncomfortable to go face-foremost. An attempt to wriggle throwng/ the ladder on the part of a competitor already prostrate 15 likely to end in painful failure and an ill-used chin. At the finish, of course, n all sack races, it 1s policy to fall through the tape, as being quicker than running, jumping, or waddlhng to breast 1t; but—and it is a

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