TRENTVILLE, THE AWESOME
As the "Scalp-hunter" swung around the upper buoy and headed down
the course she had a lead of a clean two lengths over the Trentville
High School canoe.
There was a larger crowd on the lake to-day and more steam and
gasoline craft were out.
As Dick & Co. shot down the line, still leading, steam and pneumatic
whistles broke forth into a noisy din.
Over on the western shore, on the grounds of the larger hotel,
only one little knot of Gridley people stood to watch and cheer.
These were the Bentleys, Mrs. Meade and the same group of girls
that had watched the other race.
No excursion had come up from the home town to-day, for no one
in Gridley had believed that their high school youngsters could
defeat the seasoned Trentville High School canoe crew.
Only two days before Trentville had won from Preston High School
by nearly five lengths.
What show was there for Dick & Co. or for Gridley High School?
Hence the smallness of the Gridley crowd present.
However, some hundreds of people who looked on were eager only
to see the best crew win, as they had no ties binding them either
to Gridley or to Trentville.
But the unexpected had happened.
In the first place, when the Trentville canoe and crew arrived
at the lake Dick Prescott had insisted that Preston High School
and Trentville High School race together first.
Thus he had opportunity to watch the Trentville work. Moreover,
by delaying his own race against Trentville, Dick had had more
time to train and drill his crew into form, both as to paddling
and endurance.
He had profited well by these opportunities. To-day, from the
outset, he had handled his crew so that a slight lead over Trentville
had been maintained. This had been gradually increased, and now
that the buoy had been turned with such a handsome lead, none
on shore or in the other boats believed that Trentville High School
had any further chance.
Pascal, however, who captained the Trentville canoe, had another
view of the matter. It was Ted Pascal's third summer in a canoe.
He had drilled more than one crew, and knew all the ins and outs
of the sport.
"I guess Prescott thinks he has the whole thing, by this time,"
smiled Pascal to himself. "Poor chap. He's a nice young freshman,
and I hate to fool him. But we'll soon begin our work. The Gridley
crew must be well tired by now."
Presently Ted Pascal passed the word quietly over the heads of
his perspiring but confident crew.
"Tighten up a little bit, now---a little bit at a time," was the
message Pascal gave his followers.
By the time that the home course had been half covered it was
noted that the "Slip-over," as the Trentville craft was named,
was creeping up fast on its rival.
Dick, too, quickly became aware of this.
"Trentville is showing a lot of new form, fellows, and coming
right up on us," Dick called quietly. "This race isn't won!
The fact, we're near to losing it. Form! form! muscle! Don't
fumble again, Hazelton! One, two, three, four!"
But still the Trentville High School craft continued to creep
up on them. The Gridley High School girls on shore became so
anxious that they forgot to wave their handkerchiefs and cheer.
"More push! Power, as well as speed," Dick panted, for now the
grueling speed was beginning to tell on even the leader of Dick
& Co.
The prow of the "Slip-over" now passed the stern of the
"Scalp-hunter." Reade saw this, too, and uttered a groan.
From the shore and the boats holding spectators came new volleys
of cheers, for most of these spectators were wholly impartial,
and wanted only to see an exciting race.
"Let yourself out, Gridley!" boomed a voice over the water.
Dick and Co. were doing their best---or what amounted to much
the same thing---believed that they were, at any rate.
Yet the Trentville canoe crept steadily up, then led by a quarter
length, a half length. It looked as though the Trentville crew
would soon be a length ahead of the Gridley boys.
Everyone of Dick's chums was desperate. So was Dick himself,
but he kept as cool as possible.
"Bring our prow up!" he called steadily. "No matter what happens,
bring our prow up flush with Trentville!"
By some miracle the Gridley boys found strength enough left in
their arms and backs to accomplish this feat.
Then the "Scalp-hunter" dropped behind again, an inch at a time.
"We caught 'em once!" called Dick in an even voice. "We must
do it again. One, two, three, four! Hump! hump! Put in the
power!"
By inches the "Scalp-hunter" crawled up, but Dick & Co. felt
completely exhausted.
"You've been doing well, kid," called the even voice of Ted Pascal
over the water, "but you can't do any more. We take this race!"
"Do you?" dared Dick.
"Yes; you're all in, and we have reserve steam left."
"Have you?" snapped young Prescott. "Then now is the time to
prove it."
Taking a deep breath, Dick Prescott shouted:
"Remember what Gridley demands! No defeats. Dash ahead, Gridleys!
Now---go in and kill yourselves for the honor of your school!"
Dick was far from meaning that literally, but his quick eye had
measured the remaining distance of the course.
He was captain enough to know just what each of his men could
endure, and for how long they could stand up under it.
"Life is of little use to the vanquished!" Dick shouted on. "Go
in to win---kill yourselves!"
At an earlier point on the course it would have been fearfully
bad leadership. It would have resulted in disaster had any of
Dick & Co. had any form of serious physical weakness.
But Dick Prescott knew his boys!
"Kill yourselves!" he shouted out again, as he saw the two canoes
running neck and neck. "For the honor of Gridley High School!"
Right noble was the response, though flesh and blood could not
stand this new and savage grilling for long.
"Wake up, Trentville!" shouted Ted Pascal, when he saw the
"Scalp-hunter" gaining. "Wake up! Let out all of your steam!
Push!"
Dick Prescott said no more. His straining gaze was now fixed
on the finish line. Not one of his chums even glanced at the
imaginary line. All their thoughts, like all their glances, were
on their paddles.
"A final dash, now!" called Dick. "Slam up the pace for Gridley!"
But Trentville was showing its boasted reserve steam.
Close as they now were to the finish, Pascal had no thought of
permitting defeat to come to his crew.
No dinning of whistles was there now. Every spectator waited
breathlessly for the outcome that would be reached in the next
few seconds.