The Young Oarsmen of Lakeview Part 7

"This one has been strained and cracked. An extra hard pull on it, and it would give out."

A murmur arose.

"Who did this?"

"Some enemy wants Jerry to lose, sure!"

How the blade had got into that condition was a mystery.

But now was no time to speculate on the affair. A new set of blades must be procured at once.

Luckily there was a pair belonging to a private party to be had. They were just the same size and weight.

"I would rather have my own, but I'll make these do, and beat them in spite of all," said Jerry.

At a given signal six of the boat club boys marched down the float carrying Jerry's sh.e.l.l, which had been polished and oiled until it shone like a mirror.

With a faint splash the sh.e.l.l dropped into the water. Then Jerry ran down and stepped in. His feet were "locked," and the oars were handed over.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE SINGLE Sh.e.l.l RACE.]

"Hurrah for Jerry Upton!"

"He's the boy to win!"

"Hurrah for Si Peters!"

"Jerry won't be in it with Si!"

"He will!"

"Never!"

And so the talking and the shouting ran on.

Meanwhile Si Peters had emerged from the landing at a private boathouse some distance up the lake sh.o.r.e.

He received a hearty shout as he moved slowly over to the starting point.

Si Peters won the choice of positions, and, of course, took the inside.

The race should have been a mile straightway, but the original challenge which led to the race had been for a half mile going and the same coming.

Soon the two boys were in position.

"Ready?"

There was a dead silence.

Bang!

They were off! Both boys caught the water at the same instant. Each pulled a long but quick stroke. Ten yards were covered, and they remained side by side.

"Pull, Si!"

"Go it, Jerry!"

Like two clocks, so far as regularity went, the two contestants bent their backs and pulled with might and main.

One thing was certain, unless something happened, it would be a close race.

But now the Lakeview boys were getting wild.

"See Jerry! He is gaining."

"Jerry is five feet and more in the lead!"

It was true. Slowly but surely our hero was forging ahead. Should he be able to keep this up he would cross Si Peters' course at the turning point.

But now Wash Crosby showed his hand. Without so much as a toot of the whistle, his steam launch kept drawing closer and closer to Jerry's side.

Then it gradually went ahead, until Jerry was caught in the swash of the tiny waves it produced.

Under ordinary circ.u.mstances these waves would not have been noticed, but in a sh.e.l.l, and especially during a race, even such apparent trifles count heavily.

"Keep off!" shouted the young oarsman.

"Mind your business!" shouted Wash Crosby in return, but so lowly that no one but Jerry could hear him. "This is Si Peters' race!"

CHAPTER VII.

WHO WON THE Sh.e.l.l RACE.

Jerry saw at once that he had been right in imagining that this was the plot against him. Wash Crosby intended to keep just close enough to cause him trouble without actually fouling him.

Already the swash from the steam launch was telling on Jerry's lead. Si Peters kept up at his best and soon was once more abreast of our hero.

"Hurrah!" came from the sh.o.r.e.

"Si Peters leads!"

"I said he would win!"

"That steam launch is too close to Jerry Upton."