ARRANGING THE SWIMMING MATCH
"See no reason why you can't represent this school in an athletic
meet a day or two after graduation," said Old Dut, when asked
about it. "If the North Grammar boys believe they excel at that
sport, they should be given a chance. Naturally they are disappointed
over finding themselves at the bottom of the list in baseball."
"Go after 'em to-day, Dick!" yelled the boys. "Perhaps we can
beat them in the water, too."
"Find Hi Martin this afternoon and settle it," added others.
"I won't serve alone," Dick retorted, shaking his head. "If you
fellows want me to serve on a committee and will give us full
powers to act, I'm willing."
"I think that will be the best way to go about it, boys," approved
Old Dut. "There should be a committee, and then you must be prepared
to stand by any arrangements that the committee may make."
"What's the matter with choosing a committee of ten?" proposed
Toby Ross.
"Too many," smiled Old Dut wisely.
"There'd be too much talking then. A committee should have but
a very few members."
"Are nominations in order?" queried Spoff Henderson.
"Yes," nodded Old Dut. "Since I've been consulted, I'll preside
at this yard meeting."
"Then I nominate Dick Prescott, Dave Darrin and Greg Holmes,"
Spoff continued.
"Second the motion," called Ross.
Old Dut put the motion, which was carried. "As Master Prescott
was first named," announced the principal, "he will naturally
be the chairman of the committee."
"I move the committee have full powers in arranging for the race,"
Spoff added.
This was also carried. That afternoon, when school was out, the
boys hurried along Main Street, keeping a sharp lookout for Hi.
At last they espied him, with Bill Rodgers.
"What are you going to do about the swimming race?" called Hi
from across the street.
"This is our committee, duly appointed by the Central Grammar
boys," Dick called back. "When will your committee be ready?"
"We're ready now," answered Hi. "Come over here and we'll talk
about it."
Hi leaned against the fence on his own side of the street, determined
not to concede anything to the Central Grammar boys.
"Have you two been regularly appointed as a committee?" asked
Prescott.
"We don't have to be," Hi answered indifferently. "We know what
we're talking about."
"You'll have to be regularly appointed by your school before we'll
talk with you," Dick retorted.
"You're afraid to meet us in a swimming match," Hi jeered.
"So afraid," Prescott answered, "that we've appointed a committee
regularly; but you fellows, who have been doing all the talking,
aren't willing to get together and elect a regular committee to
represent your school."
"You're afraid, I tell you," sneered Hi, while Bill Rodgers grinned.
"No; we're ready to arrange the match when your school sends a
regular committee."
"Come on over here and talk it over, if you're not afraid," urged
Hi Martin.
"We can't talk it over with you, as you've admitted that you don't
represent your school."
"Well, then, we do represent it," claimed Hi.
"That statement comes too late. Hi, we'll meet you at this same
place at half past four to-morrow afternoon. If you fail to show
up it will be all off. And your committee will have to bring
a note, signed by your principal, naming the members of your committee
and stating that it has been regularly appointed. We'll bring
the same from our principal.
"I guess the swimming match between the two schools is all off,
then," yawned Martin. "You fellows don't want to go into it,
for you know you'd be beaten stiff. That's why you try to hedge
behind a committee."
"It's all off if you fellows don't go at it in a regular way,"
Dick contended firmly. "We're not going to enter a match and
then find that you and Bill Rodgers represent no one but yourselves."
"What's all the noise about?" good-naturedly asked Reporter Len
Spencer, who, turning the corner, had halted behind Prescott and
his friends.
Dick explained the situation.
"Prescott is right," decided Len. "Martin, if the boys at your
school are not enough in earnest to arrange the contest through
an authorized committee, then folks will understand that the North
Grammar didn't really want a swimming contest."
"But we do want one," blustered Martin.
"Then go about it in a regular way, after consulting your principal,
as the Central Grammar boys have done," urged Len. "And, instead
of meeting here on a corner, you can meet at my desk at the 'Blade'
office."
Hi Martin was "stumped" at this point, and he knew it. If he
backed out now he would make himself and his school ridiculous.
"All right," agreed the North Grammar boy reluctantly.
"Don't forget to bring a note from your principal to the effect
that the boys named are the regular school committee," Dick called
after him.
"We'll do the thing in our own way," Hi retorted. "Come along,
Bill."
"I thought Martin might be up to some tricks," muttered Dick Prescott.
"If he is, tricks won't help him or his school," laughed Len.
"We'll see this thing put through in regular shape."
So, on Tuesday afternoon, Dick and his fellow members of the committee
were at the "Blade" office punctually.
At ten minutes past the time no boy from the North Grammar had
appeared.
"You won't have to wait much longer," smiled Len. "It looks as
though the North Grammar boys were bluffing."
At ten minutes of five Dick and his chums rose to leave the "Blade"
office.
"Wait a minute," urged Len at the door. "I believe I see your
rivals coming now."
Hi Martin, Bill Rodgers and Courtney Page strolled rather indolently
up to the door and entered.
"You're late," said Len crisply. "If you boys go into a race,
I believe you'll be just as late at the finish."
"There wasn't any use in hurrying," grunted Eel. "There's lots
of the day left."
"Unless you regard an appointment as a gentlemen's agreement,
and to be kept," marked Len Spencer, rather severely. "I have
been giving up my time to this affair of yours, and my time is
worth something. But take seats. Have you boys any paper to
show that you represent your school?"
"Yes," admitted Hi, producing an envelope. "Our principal gives
us the proper authority."
Len read the note, nodding. "The Central Grammar boys have also
produced their authority to act, so now we can get down to the
details of the contest. The North Grammar boys are the challengers,
are they not?"
"Yes," claimed Hi.
"Then what sort of a swimming contest do you propose?" Len asked.
"Each school to appoint its best swimmer, and arrange a half-mile
race between the champions of the two schools," Hi answered promptly.
"The school whose champion wins is to be declared the champion
in swimming."
"We expected that," nodded Dick, "and we won't agree to it. If
this match is to be held for the school championship, then there
should be several boys entered from each school----say five, six
or seven from each school. Then the contest would really represent
the schools."
"But one boy would win, just the same, in any case," retorted
Martin. "What difference would it make?"
"The way that I propose," urged Dick, "no single boy could win
for his school. Suppose we enter seven boys from each school.
Then the school whose seven boys are in ahead of the seven boys
on the other side will win the contest. In other words, of the
fourteen swimmers, one is bound to come in last of all. The school
to which this last-in swimmer belongs is the school that loses
the match."
"Huh! I don't see anything in that idea," retorted Hi. "That,
perhaps, wouldn't mean anything at all for the school that happened
to have the one best swimmer of all."
"It would make it impossible for either school to enter one real
swimmer and six dummies, and still win the match," Dick argued.
"My plan will stop the contest from being a one-boy race and
will give the contest to the school that has the best average
swimmers."
"Huh! I don't see it," said Hi doggedly.
"I think Prescott has the better of the argument," broke in Len
Spencer, who had sat tapping his desk with a pencil.
"Then I don't care much for your idea, either, Spencer," retorted
Martin.
"It may be that my idea isn't any good," nodded Len indulgently.
"I won't even claim that I know anything about sports. But you
must surely know who the umpire is in any such dispute. It's
always the editor of the local paper. So, Martin, if you won't
agree with Prescott, and if you won't admit that I know anything
about it either, suppose we lay the question before the editor
of the 'Blade.' I think he's in just now."
"As for me," spoke up Bill Rodgers, breaking his silence, "it
seems to me that Prescott's idea is good and fair."
"What do you say to that kind of stuff, Page?" inquired Hi quickly.
"I---I---er---well, I am agreeable to anything that pleases the
rest of you," stammered Courtney Page, by nature, a sail trimmer.
"You're a chump, then," Hi retorted elegantly. "The whole reason
why Prescott objects to one boy representing each school is that
he's afraid I can out-swim any boy that Central Grammar can produce."
"And I take it, Martin," Dick retorted, "that your reason for
insisting on the one-boy race, is due to your belief that you
can win from any one boy. Very likely you are the fastest and
strongest swimmer in any Gridley school. But a race with seven
boys on a side will better represent the average abilities of
the two schools. In baseball we tried to find out which school
had the average best players. We didn't try simply to find out
which school could boast of the one star player."
"That's right," nodded Len Spencer.
"Prescott, you're afraid to race with me, you or any other one
fellow in Central Grammar!" exclaimed Hi indignantly.
"No; I'm not afraid to swim against you," Dick declared quietly.
"I won't have the championship between the two schools rest on
any such race, but I'll enter a separate race against you---any
distance---this in addition to a seven-fellow race between the
schools."
"Now, I guess you haven't a leg left to stand on, Martin," smiled
Spencer. "Prescott proposes a seven-fellow race between the schools,
the school responsible for the last man who comes in to lose the
contest. That is to be for the school championship. Then, if
you think you can outswim Prescott, he agrees to enter an individual
and personal race with you."
"If Prescott and I swim against each other, then we won't swim
in the seven-fellow race, anyway." protested Hi.
"I'll agree to that," Dick nodded.
After some more talking the details were arranged. Len reduced
them to writing and the committees for both schools signed.
"I'll publish this in the 'Blade' to-morrow morning," said Spencer.
"Then the whole town will know the terms of the race."
Friday, if pleasant, was the date chosen, the seven-fellow race
to begin as soon as possible after two P.M., the personal race
between Prescott and Martin to follow. Such details as choosing
the officials of the race were to be left to the principals of
the two schools.
"It's all settled, then, gentlemen," said Spencer, rising and
holding out his right hand. "If you don't see me before you may
be sure of my being on hand to report the races themselves. I
shall do all I can to encourage schoolboy sports in Gridley.
I've a notion, too, that there will be on hand Friday a goodly
showing of High School athletes. The young men of the High School
will naturally want to look over the contestants and see who is
going to make good material for the High School teams."
"I'm thankful to say," retorted Hi stiffly, "that I do not expect
to attend Gridley High School. My father is going to send me
to one of the best prep. schools in the country. Page and Rodgers
are going to good schools, too."
"I hope none of your fathers will be disappointed," remarked Spencer
gravely. "Personally, I consider the Gridley High School one
of the best schools in the United States."
"It will do, of course, for those who really can't afford to go
to better and more select schools," Hi conceded. "Prescott, look
out that you don't get drowned when you're practicing to beat
me on Friday."
"I'm not really sure that I shall practice swimming before Friday,"
Dick smiled in answer. "I'm going to be pretty busy until after
graduation."
"Dick," asked Greg seriously, when the three chums were by themselves,
"have you any idea in the world that you can win out against Hi
Martin?"
"Oh, I may not win," Prescott replied. "Yet, if I don't I'll
promise you to be the hardest pace-maker that Hi Martin ever had
behind him in the water."