"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.
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