Ross Kay

“ Paddling with all their strength Grant and John succeeded in catching up with their opponents. When the bow of their canoe was within a few feet of the stern of the other they eased up a bit and contenting themselves with allowing their rivals to set the pace, they kept their position with bulldog determination.
Thomas and Hugh sprinted. Grant and John followed suit. If the leading canoe slackened its pace the one behind did the same. Like a shadow the two Go Ahead boys dogged their opponents’ course.
Such a proceeding always worries the leader. ”

“ To their dismay, it was Franklin and Herbert who first hove in sight and to the waiting boys it seemed as if hours elapsed before George and Fred rounded the turn. At last they appeared, however, over thirty yards in the rear.
“Now, Fred!” urged George, as they started on the home stretch. “Let ’em have it.”
Like demons the two boys began to ply their paddles. The light canoe was quick to respond and it fairly flew over the water. Foot by foot and yard by yard they gained on their fast-tiring opponents. ”

“ Steadily the Balsam drew away from her rival. The wind was strong now and the lake was dotted with white-caps.
“Perhaps the Balsam is a rough-water sailor,” remarked Grant. “At any rate she seems to be doing splendidly in this breeze.”
“If the breeze should die down they’d probably catch right up to us,” said Fred. “Let’s hope it doesn’t.”
“What makes you think they’d catch us?” demanded John.
“Nothing. Some boats sail better in one kind of a breeze than in others. This seems to be suited to a strong wind and I thought it was possible that the Spruce would do better in a light one.” ”

“ They spoke in a low tone of voice so that their friends on board the Balsam could not hear them and in silence they embarked upon the second canoe. Grant sat in the bow while George wielded the paddle in the stern. They approached the catboat rapidly where John and Fred sat waiting for them with broad grins upon their faces.
“You must think we run a ferry,” exclaimed Fred as the canoe drew near.
“Not at all,” said Grant. “We just thought that perhaps you’d be glad to do a good turn for us.”
“We’re tired,” grinned John. ”

“ Fred was white-lipped, he was so excited. But who wouldn’t be, for there is no more thrilling sport in the world than to fight a big trout with a five-ounce rod?
“I believe he’s tiring,” exclaimed Fred at length.
“A little, perhaps,” agreed Fred.
“I wish he’d jump so we could see him.”
“If he does I’ll lose him. That’s one of the things I’m doing my best to prevent.”
“Why so?” demanded Grant in surprise.
“If a fish can jump clear of the water he can very often shake the hook out of his mouth. I’ve seen it happen too often.” ”

“ I don’t see how a bird could sound so like a human being.”
“That’s what it is just the same,” said Grant, and he was almost doubled up with laughter now. “I think I’d better wake up Pop and Fred and tell them about your friend that’s calling for help.”
“Are you positive it’s a loon?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then don’t ever tell a soul,” begged John eagerly. “I’d never hear the last of it as long as I lived. It would be awful if George ever knew.”
“You’re not the first one who’s ever been fooled,” laughed Grant. “You probably won’t be the last, either.” ”

“ Down the home stretch they dashed, and little by little Grant and John gained. They gained steadily also, and it was evident that if the course were long enough they would be returned winners. But could they catch and pass their rivals before the finish line was reached? That was what worried Fred and George, who screamed themselves hoarse in their eagerness to spur their comrades on. ”

“ It seemed impossible that the two boys could work any harder than they had been. Every one seems to have some reserve strength, however, no matter how much he may have used before, and it was this store that Grant and John called upon now.
Inch by inch they crept up. Soon Thomas from the stern of his canoe could see out of the corner of his eye the bow of the blue team’s canoe.
“Paddle, Hugh!” he cried. “Paddle for all you’re worth!” ”

“ The sun was fast sinking in the west and the light was commencing to fade. A lone kingfisher winged his way across the lake returning to his home, a hole dug in some bank overlooking the water. All was quiet and peaceful.
“I need some wood for this fire,” Grant repeated, for no one had paid any attention to his former statement of this fact.
“You hear that, Pop?” inquired Fred. “Grant needs some wood.”
“Yes, I heard him,” replied George. “What’s the matter with you; your legs haven’t turned to stone, have they? Can’t you get it?” ”

“ A tiger doesn’t give any warning at all when he attacks.”
“Well, I’d just as soon not meet either one of them on a lonely road,” laughed John.
“Nor I,” agreed Grant. “I’ve heard though that a rhinoceros or an African buffalo is worse than either a lion or a tiger.”
“How about a grizzly bear?”
“They’re all pretty bad, I guess,” said Grant. “I wouldn’t stop to argue with any one of them.”
“Let me have that gun again,” exclaimed John. “If we’re going to meet all these ferocious wild animals we’ll need more practice in shooting.”
Just at this moment, however, George and Fred appeared. ”

“ What bothers me is who is to clean the fish.”
“The man who catches them always cleans them,” said Fred.
“Oh, no, he doesn’t,” laughed George. “Not in this case, anyway.”
“How about the cook doing it?” inquired John.
“As I am to do the cooking all summer I can’t say I approve of that plan,” laughed Grant. “That seems a little bit too much.”
“Well, he hasn’t caught any fish yet, anyway,” said Fred. “Let him do that first and we’ll argue about them afterwards.”
“Where are you going to fish, Pop?” asked Grant. ”

“ To know that a step behind him is some one who follows him like grim death and who cannot be shaken off by any means whatsoever, is bound to have its effect in the long run. The pace-maker is irritated and bewildered and sometimes demoralization follows as a result.
Grant was aware of this and he intended to make the most of it. He knew that if Thomas and Hugh discovered that it was out of the question to pull away from the pursuing canoe their confidence would be shaken and once this quality is lost, a great asset is gone.
It is easier to follow the pace than to make it. ”

“ Good sportsmanship adds zest to every game.
“Where are the first pairs for this canoe race?” cried Mr. Maxwell. “We mustn’t let these events lag, you know.”
“We’ll be ready in a minute,” replied Grant. “We want to get all our wind back and remove all the water from this canoe first.”
“That’s right,” said Herbert Halsey. “You fellows take your time.”
The suggestion of the blue team that the next event be made a relay race around the island, had met with an enthusiastic response from their rivals. Two teams from each camp were to compete and each team was to paddle once around. ”

“ Fred agreed. “We’ll have plenty of time to sail it too, Grant. All afternoon ought to be long enough.”
“That’s right,” said Grant. “Yes, I hope we can get around twice in one afternoon.”
“This canoe race is what’s bothering me,” exclaimed George. “That’ll take it out of us all right. It’s hard work paddling and as long as Fred and I aren’t the first team I wonder if it wouldn’t be better if we didn’t go in it at all. If we were fresh for the swimming race that might increase our chances.”
“I know,” said Grant, “but it seems to me that every fellow ought to be in every event.” ”

“ The hope thus aroused gave them just strength enough to urge their canoe forward across the line. Herbert lifted his paddle and touched the canoe in which Hugh and Thomas waited so impatiently, and then sank back against the thwart exhausted.
The disaster to Fred was nearly fatal. The canoe rocked dangerously and though it did not turn over, it lost every bit of its momentum.
“Sit down, Fred!” shouted George. “I’ll paddle.”
One man against two is a severe handicap, however, even if those two are well nigh exhausted. It must be remembered also that George too, was nearly fagged out. ”

“ Of course I knew I could make somebody bite with you on board.”
“Huh,” snorted Fred. “I thought you’d gone crazy, talking about ball games up here in the woods.”
“You two are always wrangling,” exclaimed Grant. “Stop it.”
“I can’t resist trying to get rises out of Fred,” said George. “He’s so easy.”
“Leave him alone,” said Grant. “I wonder where the people are who own this tent. There doesn’t seem to be a soul around.”
“Let’s go up to the tent and peek in,” suggested John.
“Do you think we ought to do that?” Fred protested.
“Why not? We’re not going to steal anything are we?” ”

“ With a rush the sail came down, its folds almost completely covering the four boys in the boat. The strain on the tiller was greatly relieved however and the Balsam maintained a more even keel.
“Whew!” exclaimed George, groping his way astern. “What a storm this is!”
“I never saw it rain so hard,” said John. “Just look; you can’t see more than about ten feet.”
“We’ll go aground if we’re not careful.”
“How can we stop it?” demanded Fred. “We’re at the mercy of the storm.”
“Throw the anchor overboard,” suggested George.
“A good idea, Pop,” exclaimed Grant. ”

“ I must! I must!” John kept saying to himself over and over again. Then the next time he saw his rivals Thomas was several feet ahead of him and gaining.
John groaned. Hugh still kept abreast of him and try as hard as he could John seemed powerless to shake him off. He gritted his teeth and strove desperately to make his arms go still faster. Nature could not be forced however; his arms seemed made of lead and every time he raised them he wondered if it would not be the last.
Far ahead he saw Grant only a few feet from the dock. Thomas, too, was many yards in advance of him now. ”

“ As Fred had remarked it seemed a strange thing that any man like the one George had seen should be loitering around their camp. They had had no visitors that summer aside from their opponents in the water sports and Mr. Maxwell, and the appearance of a stranger on the island was unusual enough to cause them some alarm.
Side by side they walked towards the spot where their tent was pitched. No further sign of their visitor appeared and this in itself made the four boys somewhat uneasy.
“Where did he go, do you suppose?” whispered John.
“Are you sure you saw a man, Pop?” demanded Grant. ”

“ Why did you do it?”
“To give us more breeze.”
“I suppose scratching the mast is going to make the wind blow,” and John laughed loudly. “I think you’re crazy, Pop.”
“Wait and see,” said George calmly. “I remember that I once read somewhere about sailors scratching the mast when they wanted a breeze, so I thought I’d try it. We need to try everything if we want to win this race. They’re ahead of us now.”
“All right,” smiled John. “I guess you didn’t do any harm anyway.”
“That’s the way I figured,” exclaimed George. “All sailors are superstitious and they believe in those things. ”

“ George and Fred had been content to allow their rivals to gain on them, but not so Grant and John. Their one idea was to hang on and hang on and hang on, until the time should come when an opportunity offered itself for a quick dash into the lead. ”

“ George and Grant followed soon after and the second canoe was made fast to one of the thwarts of the other.
“I’ll put the lunch up here,” said Fred, at the same time depositing the basket up forward under the protection of the deck.
“Slide the rods in there too, will you?” exclaimed George. “Look out for the reels that they don’t get caught under anything.”
“Everything ready?” asked John.
“Let ‘er go,” cried George enthusiastically. “I’m ready.”
“Come and help me pull up the anchor then,” said John.
“I’m your man,” cried George. “You know I’m always looking for work.” ”

“ You’ve never caught a trout until he is safely on the shore.”
Fred had not once taken his eyes from the line while he was talking with Grant. Carefully, coolly and with great skill he played his fish. Never once did he relax his caution, and little by little he seemed to be gaining the mastery. Every rush was shorter than the one before, and after every one he reeled in a bit more of line and brought the trout a trifle nearer to the shore and the net.
“Get ready, Grant,” said Fred in a tense voice.
The handle of the net in his right hand, Grant knelt on the rocks on the edge of the pool. ”

“ It snapped off short in his hand and as a result, the canoe almost upset. It seemed as if their splendid effort was to go for nothing. Herbert and Franklin, seeing the plight of their rivals, were endowed with new hope that they might win their relay after all. ”

“ Those men are behind this flag and if you are loyal to the flag, prove it by being loyal to the men behind it. Every man must do his part.”
“I guess we’re careless at times and don’t think,” said Grant soberly.
“That’s true,” agreed Mr. Maxwell. “That’s no excuse for us though.”
“But I didn’t come here to make a speech,” he continued laughingly. “I believe what I’ve just said with all my heart though. At present, however, I know there is a tilting contest to be held and we’d better start it at once. I’m anxious to see who gets the first two points towards winning the big flag.” ”

“ That it is not an easy thing to acquire will be vouched for by any one who has attempted it. Fred was a wretched swimmer and knew perfectly well that he stood no chance in the race; he entered merely because he did not wish to miss anything. John and George were about on a par, both of them good average performers, but nothing more.
“All ready?” shouted Mr. Maxwell through his megaphone.
“Everybody ready?” asked Thomas. ”

“ CHAPTER V—THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS
“Man overboard!” shouted Grant, running forward as he called. He did not know whether to laugh or to be worried. One thing was certain though and that was that George like his three companions was perfectly at home in the water. All four were expert swimmers so that barring accidents they had little to fear from falling overboard.
“He’s all right,” cried John. “Help me hold this anchor, somebody.”
Grant grasped the chain and one more heave was sufficient to bring the anchor up on the deck of the Balsam. ”

“ We finally compromised on a hundred and seventy-five yards.”
“That’s fair enough,” said George. “How are we going to measure off these different distances?”
“Guess at them, I suppose,” laughed John. “It won’t make any difference whether they’re exact or not, I guess.”
“No, I imagine we’re not going to break any time records so we needn’t bother about such details,” agreed George.
“We haven’t had any practice so far to-day,” remarked Fred. “What’s the matter; are we afraid of getting over-trained?”
“That can be done easily enough, all right,” said Grant. ”

“ You can’t expect to receive benefits all the time and not give anything in return, you know.”
“What can we do?” asked George, who along with all the others was deeply impressed by Mr. Maxwell’s words.
“Just this: be good citizens. A good citizen is a man who not only obeys the laws of his country, but who is always working to make his country better. He puts his country’s interests ahead of his own and that’s a hard thing to do sometimes. A good citizen stands by the mayor of his town, and the governor of his state, and the president of his country. ”