would do. Fudge suggested stuffing some paper in the toes, but as there was no paper handy that plan was abandoned. Perry's hat, coat and vest were laid beside his boots and he turned up the bottoms of his trousers. Then they walked along the track, skirting puddles or jumping over them. Fortunately, they had the field to themselves, thanks to locked gates, something Perry was thankful for when Fudge, discouraging his desire to have the event over with at once, insisted that he should prance up and down the track and warm up.
"You can't run decently until you've got your legs warm and your muscles limber," declared Fudge wisely. "And you'd better try a few starts, too."
So, protestingly, Perry danced around where he could find a dry stretch, lifting his knees high in the manner illustrated by Fudge, and then allowed the latter to show him how to crouch for the start.
"Put your right foot up to the line," instructed Fudge. "Here, I'll scratch a line across for you. There. Now put your foot up to that—your right foot, silly! That's your left! Now put your left knee alongside it and your hands down. That's it, only you want to dig a bit of a hole back there for
your left foot, so you'll get away quick. Just scrape
15
