Santa Ana High School - Ariel Yearbook (Santa Ana, CA)

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'n ',, V' ,,,' T l,Pfff fT ff ft! df ' X 340427, X ui ,, HX, 6 V I f eil!!! ff f f f ff f XYXALQ, ffiffffffff IXXXW ff ffwf MW!! , r nl , , 1' f J ,I N., f f f , --5 1 ' VLKY, ' ff Q, Xhfff f, X V , , f ,I n w T af, 4 ' .fi ' X if 'fb . ' 1 ff 92fff'f'.m' fffif ff 31,50 ,3.,f'! ,yr r, , fb ff! Ii- ...nm A Strategic Move QCofn,cludedJ XNG, went the starting gun, followed immediately by a roar like a battery of machine guns. It sounded like a musket shot with a reply of artillery. The crowd cheered but the cheers were drowned by the roar J from the exhausts. Immediately the jockeying for the pole at the first turn began. A novice at these tactics, Bob was forced back into seventh place, but he had one consolation, there were more behind him than in front of him. Out of sight of the crowd they rushed around the Hrst turn of the nine mile track. The crowd had scarcely drawn a full breath of relief, it seemed, before a car jumped into view and came tearing up the straightaway. Round and round tore the giant cars. The race was one of thrills from the start. Lendaux, the tricky foreign driver was setting a terrible pace. lie was getting every particle of speed possible out of his big Medford, which was con- sidered the fastest car in the field. Two machines were out of the race with engine trouble and two more were wrecks. NW kv I F15 aigtl, 1 A I NVhen the race was half over the Levant was running fourth. On the tenth lap it had crept up into third place and on the fourteenth, passed the second car, a big gray Marat. As Bob passed the repair pits, his signals told him that Len- daux was only two minutes ahead. As they flew up the back stretch, they passed the Medford with Lendaux and his mechanic working feverishly on a tire change. The foreigner had hoped that he was far enough ahead of the Levant to be started again before he was caught. Then it was that Bob decided on a daring plan. His tires could not possi- bly stand the terrific strain for the remaining forty miles, at the rate he was go- ing. He had just changed a few laps before but as he passed the pit again, he signaled, Tires, Four. The manager scratched his head in bewilderment-Foul tires! VVhat was the matter with that boy? Then the truth dawned upon him and when the Levant slowed up and stopped. the men in the pit came mighty close to a record for changing all four tires. just as the Levant started, the Medford shot triumphantly by. The crowd now divined l3ob's plan. Lendaux had changed his worn tires on the back stretch and Hob was going to try to beat him at his own game. The machines would be cut loose for the rest of the race without regard for tires. It was to be a battle fit for kings. Qnly three laps more. At the close of the eighteenth Lendaux led the Levant by only about a hundred yards. At the end of the nineteenth it was cut down to twenty-five. Bob was proving that although he was an inexper- ienced, unknown driver, the Levant was the faster car even when the Medford had such a pilot as Lendaux. They were on the last lap. Nine

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4,414 W X ffwfwwawf 1 Nif WZVXXXXXK M As . 5' X 7 WMM I I n rllmmwmm jhnmfff f J I 5 5? WV' 1 A 1, ,,, f ! Y IJ 'fc , if- fx , E, 65, 4, ,k,l'?f?y, aan. amz X 1 ,f .- t 5f?i:7'i'f ,.,, 4 leafy X! M! I XZ v , 2 f if ' I , A t ' ' 'f', ' - Several times Bob tried to pass the Frenchman and each time the veteran shot his car over in front of the Levant and always he kept his lead. He was out- driving Bob by tricks that experience alone can teach. As the two machines shot into the hair-pin curve, they were side by side, but the foreigner had the inside track. Lendaux knew that if he could make Hob drop behind for this curve, the Levant would lose too much time to be made up in the final dash up the short straightaway to the finish. but Bob saw his plan. Instead of dropping behind, he kept even with his rival. At the turn, which was not banked for anyg such feat as this, the machine skidded fearfully, tilted upon two wheels and then settled down for the last dash of speed. The crowd had expected thrills, but had never dreamed of a Finish like this. Both cars were wide open and the mechanics were pumping oil as if to save their lives. It was a race between the machines, the Medford racer and the Levant stock car. The drivers were helpless. Both had done their utmost and the crowd appreciated it. The Medford led by inches when they came out of the turn, then they were even, then the Levant forged ahead. It was no longer a contest between the skill of the drivers but the strength of the cars, and the Levant was winning. Up to the finish they tore. Both got the checkered Hag at the same instant, but Bob knew that his car had won. ' Well, lfal, we beat 'em, laughed Uob when they could break away from the wild mob of admirers, photographers and newspaper men, and what's more we beat 'em on the square. I guess we can keep our jobs with the Levant Com- pany, he added with a smile. Yes, sir, you beat 'em on the square. But you are mistaken about your jobs. You are discharged, both of you. Sargent, you may return to New York immediately. The hoard of directors has a little matter to take up with you. And you will assume your new duties at once, Bob. The position of superintend- ent of the western division is vacant, owing to the promotion of the present manager. liob turned to see his father smiling at him and then he received the shock of his life, for while his father thumped him with one hand, he was vigor- ously pumping Hal Rlake's hand with the other-Hal's right hand too, the hand that he had said before the race he couldn't use to save his life. BRUCE NVALLACE, ,I4. 'Fen