The Go Ahead Boys in the Island Camp Part 26

"What if they do? They'll be all in at the finish and we'll start a sprint."

In response to George's suggestion they eased up materially. As Fred had predicted the other canoe immediately began to draw away, for its two occupants did not relax their efforts for an instant. Wider and wider the gap opened between them until thirty feet separated the two racers when they came to the first turn.

The island was oval in its shape, very much like an egg. The start had been made from a point about midway between the two ends. The first stretch, therefore, was half the length of the island, then the corner was turned and the whole length of the island was covered, ending with the home stretch, half the length of the island again.

Steadily and strongly, George and Fred paddled. Herbert and Franklin still worked desperately, taking nearly three strokes to the other boys'

two, and as a result, the gap between the two boats continually widened.

"Don't let it worry you, Fred," said George. "They can't keep up that pace very much longer."

"They're not weakening yet though, Pop."

"I know it, but we've only covered half the course so far."

Steadily the red team's canoe drew away. Forty, fifty feet, they were in the lead now. If any one had been in a position to observe, however, he would have seen that its occupants were beginning to show signs of weakening. Their breath came faster and faster, the perspiration rolled off their faces in streams, and their muscles began to ache and throb.

Relentlessly George and Fred followed them. Not one bit did they increase their efforts, though George had great difficulty in restraining his companion. Powerful, even strokes urged their tiny craft on and now they were holding their own. Just ahead of them was the last turn which was to bring them into the home stretch.

"How do you feel, Fred?" asked George.

"Fine."

"Are you tired?"

"Not very."

"I hope not. We'll start a sprint the second we round that turn and we'll have to put all we've got into it."

The leading canoe was even now turning the point. The boys in it were plainly tired as their frequent splashing showed. They still worked desperately, however, and it would be no mean task to overtake them.

Grant and John sat in their canoe at the starting point eagerly awaiting the appearance of their team-mates. To their dismay, it was Franklin and Herbert who first hove in sight and to the waiting boys it seemed as if hours elapsed before George and Fred rounded the turn. At last they appeared, however, over thirty yards in the rear.

"Now, Fred!" urged George, as they started on the home stretch. "Let 'em have it."

Like demons the two boys began to ply their paddles. The light canoe was quick to respond and it fairly flew over the water. Foot by foot and yard by yard they gained on their fast-tiring opponents.

Franklin and Herbert paddled desperately. Their strength was gone however; they had used it all up at the start of the race. Their arms felt like great chunks of lead and it was all the two boys could do to make them respond to the urging of their wills.

At racehorse speed, George and Fred plowed along. The gap between the two canoes began to disappear as if by magic. The steady pace they had maintained had tired them, to be sure, but they still had plenty of reserve strength left and they were using it now when it counted most.

The cheers of their team-mates waiting for them came faintly to their ears, spurring them on.

"We've got 'em, Fred! We've got 'em!" exclaimed George triumphantly.

"Stick to it."

Fifty yards away was the finish line and the canoes were almost on even terms. Forty yards and George and Fred were in the lead. Their rivals were beaten, dead tired, and possessed of scarcely the strength necessary to urge their canoe across the line.

Thirty yards from home and George and Fred enjoyed a lead of nearly five yards. They were moving at easily twice the speed of their opponents now. It seemed certain that Grant and John were to be handed a splendid head-start for the last relay, when an unexpected and most disheartening thing suddenly happened.

CHAPTER XVIII-A CLOSE MATCH

Fifteen yards from the finish Fred's paddle broke. It snapped off short in his hand and as a result, the canoe almost upset. It seemed as if their splendid effort was to go for nothing. Herbert and Franklin, seeing the plight of their rivals, were endowed with new hope that they might win their relay after all. The hope thus aroused gave them just strength enough to urge their canoe forward across the line. Herbert lifted his paddle and touched the canoe in which Hugh and Thomas waited so impatiently, and then sank back against the thwart exhausted.

The disaster to Fred was nearly fatal. The canoe rocked dangerously and though it did not turn over, it lost every bit of its momentum.

"Sit down, Fred!" shouted George. "I'll paddle."

One man against two is a severe handicap, however, even if those two are well nigh exhausted. It must be remembered also that George too, was nearly f.a.gged out. In spite of his usual lightheartedness, he had an indomitable will, however, and not one of the boys had more nerve than he.

He dipped his blade deep into the water, brought the bow of the canoe around so that it pointed in the proper direction, and urged it forward.

Meanwhile the other canoe had pa.s.sed them and crossed the line at least five yards in the lead.

Grant and John were off like a flash, however, and the advantage the red team enjoyed was not insurmountable by any means.

"That was tough luck, boys," exclaimed Mr. Maxwell earnestly to Fred and George. "You two certainly deserved to win that relay."

"You surely did," echoed Franklin Dunbar. "That was about the toughest luck I ever saw."

"Fred's too strong," laughed George. "It's awfully hard to get any paddle that he won't break."

"Don't pay any attention to what he says, Mr. Maxwell," urged Fred. "He thinks he can tease me; personally, I think he's crazy."

"I hope not," laughed Mr. Maxwell.

"He's fresh though," insisted Fred.

"Not now," puffed George. "My breath's gone and I'm all in."

"That was a great race," insisted Mr. Maxwell. "I don't remember ever having seen a better one."

"We were about twenty-five yards ahead of them at one time, you know,"

said Herbert. "I thought we would win easily."

"So did I," exclaimed Fred. "You kept drawing away from us all the time and I thought we wouldn't even be in it. I wanted to paddle harder all the time but Pop here wouldn't let me. He insisted that we keep up a steady gait and sprint at the end."

"My system was all right, wasn't it?" demanded George.

"It surely was. You didn't count on the paddle breaking, though."

"Oh, yes, I did. I knew that if you exerted all your strength that any paddle would snap; that's the reason I wanted you to save it until the end. Suppose you'd cut loose over the other side of the island and the paddle had broken there. We'd have been in a nice fix, wouldn't we?" and George winked solemnly at their three visitors who seemed much amused at his efforts to secure a rise from his companion.

"Oh, dry up!" exclaimed Fred shortly, and George laughed gleefully at having accomplished his purpose.

Meanwhile the two other canoes were rounding the first turn.