THE RACES
"Of course we will enter," declared Cora. "I know my boat and I
think it is as good as any little motor craft on the water."
"But suppose we should get stuck away out in the lake," objected
Bess. "Then what would we do?"
The girls and boys were talking together a few days after Cora had
helped mysterious Kate to get away, and had entered the water
contest.
"There would be plenty of boats to give us a tow," replied Cora, "but
I have not the slightest idea of getting stuck. My engine works
splendidly."
She found an opportunity to whisper to her brother: "What about Miss
Blake?"
"I'll tell you later, sis," he whispered back. "It isn't very
important. Don't ask me now," and then he went on fussing over the
engine and oil cups.
"If we only had our canoe," wailed Jack.
"That was different from any boat I have seen here. It was built
on racing lines. Funny what became of it."
"Funny?" repeated Ed. "Tragic I think!" and he gave his sleeves
another upward turn just to be doing something.
"Deplorable," added Walter. "I think I looked just sweet in that
canoe. Don't you, Hazel?"
"Well, when I saw you--you did," she admitted, "but three boys in a
canoe are not quite as attractive--"
"As one girl and one boy," he put in. "Well, that is my own
opinion, but Jack and Ed are so inartistic. I never can get them to
see things my way."
"We will race in the Peter Pan," Ed announced. "Of course she
cannot be beaten. But it is not half as much fun to depend upon an
engine as to rely upon muscle. The canoe for me."
"But the glory!" exclaimed Belle. "That boat is beautiful."
"The boat is! Look at us," and Jack stood almost on his head.
"Boats are all right, but in the beauty class we come first."
"What time do they start?" Cora inquired. "I've forgotten."
"Motors at three, smaller craft earlier. I am going over to the
Point to see the hand-boats," said Jack. "Of course everybody is
interested in them."
"Then girls," advised Cora, "get ready. We will have an early
lunch, and go out for the afternoon. Perhaps we will bring the cup
back."
"Lucky if you bring your boat back," Jack cautioned. "Don't you
want me to look the engine over, Cora?"
"No, indeed. That would be a dangerous thing to do, for I now have
every part clear. I have put on a bigger oil cup, have had the
water circulation increased so the engine can not heat so, I have
had a throttle control put up at the steering wheel so that I can
slow down from there, and I tell you, Jackie, I have worked out the
secrets of that engine until there are no more."
"I should say you had, sis. I never knew there were so many
attachments. Well, I know I can depend upon you to keep up the
honor of the Kimball family. Come along fellows. Let's see that
the Peter Pan is not done by the 'Peter Petrel.' I noticed she was
puffing out a lot of oil this morning as we came over."
"Then," said Cora, "you want to be careful. Your oil will run out
and the best engine made will stop short if that happens."
"Whew!" exclaimed Ed. "Suppose we get Cora to look over our boat?
She seems to know."
"Better have Paul do it," suggested Cora. "That boat is worth three
thousand dollars, and I wonder they ever allowed you boys to rent
it."
"They would not if Paul had not vouched for them," Hazel explained.
"They have a great regard for Paul's skill."
"And is he not going in the races?" asked Bess.
"I haven't heard him say," replied the sister.
"Bet he'll be a dark horse," suggested Ed. "Well, we can't wish
Paul any too much good luck, but I do wish he would not stick so
dose to his boats and tools. We scarcely see anything of him."
"Nor do I," agreed Hazel with a sigh. "I miss him dreadfully."
"Poor child," and Walter affected to put his big brown arm around
the girl. "Let me make up for Paul. Does he kiss you very often?"
and he brushed her cheek.
"Walter Pennington!" gasped the circumspect Hazel, "Do have sense!"
"That's what Cora taught me--to help the needy," he floundered.
"Come now, no more nonsense," ordered Cora. "If we are to race we
have to get ready." A few hours later Cedar Lake was alive with
craft. The rowboats and canoes were lined up first and our friends
from Chelton, the girls in the Petrel and the boys in the Peter Pan,
kept a sharp look out for the lost canoe. Of course they knew it
would be repainted, but the lines being different from those of
other boats they hoped to be able to distinguish it, should it
appear for the races.
The judges had taken their places. The platform at the Point was
gaily decorated for the occasion, and all sorts of banners were
flying. The course was to cover one mile, and it ran clear out into
the open lake so that the delightful view was unobstructed.
Of all the canoes a bright red craft with a girl in Indian garb
attracted most attention. The girl had her hair flying and was
indeed a striking figure in the brilliant bark.
There were many green boats, all having Indian names, and there were
those of wood in the natural color. Girls vied with boys in point
of numbers, and had it all their own way in point of attractiveness.
"They are all ready," Cora told her friends, as the man on the bench
who held the pistol allowed it to glimmer in the sunlight. The next
moment a crack rent the air and the boats shot off.
For some moments no one spoke. All attention was riveted on the
graceful canoes that so motionlessly covered the deep blue lake.
The dip of the paddles was the only sign of movement although the
dainty boats were making good time in covering the courses.
Suddenly when all others had left and were off a light canoe shot
out from some place, and a girl with her hair flying, and dressed
most peculiarly, started off after them all.
"She gave them a handicap," said Cora, then something occurred to
her. The same thought came to the others for each held her breath.
"The ghost girl!" whispered Belle, finally. "However did she get
in?"
"It surely is! See her go! And there--there is that man from
Peters'," exclaimed Bess to Cora, "and he, too, is in the race."
"They can beat anything on the lake," declared Hazel. "See her go!"
"See him go!"
In a few seconds those who had so mysteriously entered, the race
were far up in the line with those who had first started. The girl
was wonderfully graceful, and the man showed marked skill at the
paddle. He was trying to keep close to her, that was evident, but
at a cheer from the shore and from the outlying boats the girl shot
ahead and was soon out of hearing of the man, who evidently was her
companion.
"She will beat him--she will beat them all!" declared Cora, and this
was the opinion of most of the thousands of spectators.
"But if she does," faltered Belle, "do you suppose she will go to
the stand dressed like that to receive the prize?"
"We shall see," said Cora. "At any rate this combination is far
more interesting than the real race."
A red canoe was alongside the girl in the light one. For a few
moments it seemed she would be outdone. Then, with a clever light
dip of her paddle, that scarcely seemed to touch the water, the Fern
Island girl was again ahead.
The first course had been covered and the boats were turned back for
the final run.
"The man has dropped out," said Belle, "See there he is just
floating along."
"He wouldn't be beaten, I suppose," Cora surmised, "Any one could
see that the girl would come in first."
"They are coming back and she has not started," said Belle, who had
the marine glasses.
"But she will," declared Cora.
"Yes, there she comes! Oh isn't it exciting! To have the queer
girl beat all those who pride themselves on their skill. I wonder
who or what she can be?" queried Hazel.
"Here come our boys," said Belle, as the beautiful golden Peter Pan
motored over to the smaller Petrel.
"What do you think of that?" called Jack. "Look at the Wild Duck!"
"Isn't she a--bird!" confirmed the voice of Ed.
"A Sea Gull," added the more polite Walter. "I say, girls, do you
happen to know her?"
"Yes," called back Cora, "We have met her."
Then there was an exchange of words understandable only to those
expressing them, and to those for whom they were expressed, but any
one might have guessed that the boys in the Peter Pan were asking
the girls in the Petrel to let them "meet" the wild bird of the
light canoe.
"They are almost in," said Bess, breathlessly. "Oh I hope she does
not back out."
"No danger," said Cora. "One can see that she is making for the
finish line."
"There are two boys who have been saving themselves," Hazel
remarked. "I shouldn't wonder if they could beat our friend."
"Oh, I hope not," exclaimed Belle. "I should be so disappointed."
"And it would be impolite of them," added the innocent Bess, whereat
every one laughed.
The boys had been saving their strength. Now they paddled off and
their craft, one of brown and one green, seemed equal to any of the
others.
"Hello there!" called Jack. "Did you notice?"
"What?" asked Cora.
"The canoe--the Gerkin?"
"He means it has lines like the lost boat," said Cora. "I have not
seen it enough to know," she finished, but at the same time she took
the glasses to look at the new rival of the wild girl.
"Yes it has, I remember," said Bess. "I had a good look at it the
afternoon that they lost it. I was waiting for you to fix up your
boat Cora, and I saw the boys' canoe."
"Well, I suppose they could never be certain, as there must be more
than one boat built even on those lines," said Cora. "My! See how
close they are--the girl and the boys!"
"She's ahead!" exclaimed Belle, clapping her hands. "How I hope she
wins!"
"We all do!" declared Hazel.
Then they were silent. The first canoe was almost in, and it was
the one called the Gerkin, paddled by the boys.
"Go it girl!" screamed the boys from the Peter Pan.
"Beat them, girlie!" called the girls from the Petrel.
For one brief second the wild-looking girl turned in the direction
from which the voices had come. Hats were waved to her,
handkerchiefs flaunted and then she paddled--paddled straight ahead
and came into the finish first!
"Hurrah! Hurrah!" went up shout after shout.
"I knew it!" cried Cora joyously. "Now let us watch her."
"There's that dark man!" Bess told them. "Oh! I just wish he would
keep away from her."
But he did not. The girl in the light canoe turned from the
spectators as if she had been deaf and dumb. And it was the dark
man--the fellow called Tony Jones--who went up to the judges to get
their verdict.