time hauling the rope forward over a foot. Then they went down once more and anchored as firmly as ever.
"Good!" shouted Sam enthusiastically. "You're doing it, boys! Keep it up!"
"Are they?" sneered Lew Flapp. "Just you wait and see."
He had a little roll of paper in his hand, and watching his opportunity he blew the contents into the air, directly over the team led by Tom Rover. The paper contained pepper and it set several of Tom's men to sneezing.
This trick had been arranged between Flapp and Rockley, the latter feeling certain that Tom and his followers could not sneeze and pull at the same time. "Up!" yelled Rockley. "Pull! pull! pull!"
"Stay down!" roared Tom. "Down! Don't give in an inch!"
But the cry could not be obeyed. Half the team was up and sneezing and before order could be restored the rope had gone over to the Rockleys' side a distance of two and a half feet.
"Hurrah, the Rockleys are winning!" yelled Ben Hurdy. "Haul 'em over, boys!"
"Down!" ordered Tom.
"What on earth made the men sneeze?" demanded Dick, gazing around sharply.
