CHAPTER XIV THE BOAT RACES
The day for the boat races dawned clear and bright. There was no breezeand the surface of Cayuga Lake was almost as smooth as a mill pond.
"What an ideal day for the contests!" cried Jack, as he and Andy walkeddown to the boathouse. "It couldn't possibly be better."
"If it doesn't blow up a storm by afternoon," answered the acrobaticcadet.
The boys went rowing for an hour in the morning, and Dale coached themas before. George Strong came down to watch them and gave them a few"points," for he had rowed in the crew of his college years before.
"You have not had quite enough practice," said the teacher. "But you dofairly well."
When the time came for the races quite a crowd assembled along the lakeshore, and many were out in rowboats and sailboats and also in gasolinelaunches.
"I wonder if Mr. Ford is out?" said Jack. He referred to a wealthygentleman of that district who owned a beautiful yacht. The seasonbefore Jack, Pepper, and Andy had saved Mr. Ford's two daughters, Lauraand Flossie, from being drowned, and the gentleman had been their warmfriend ever since.
"I think not," said Stuffer. "Their mansion at the Point has been closedup for the winter, and they are not yet back."
It was not long before Roy Bock and his crew appeared, in a brand-newrowboat which was certainly a beauty. It was painted black, with a goldstripe, and cut the water like a thing of life.
"That's a better boat than ours," whispered. Stuffer. "No wonder theywant to race us. I guess they want to show off their new boat as much asanything."
The Pornell students had brought with them a large number of "rooters,"and these cheered to the echo when their friends appeared.
"Hurrah for Pornell Academy!"
"Go in and win! You can do it easily!"
"Hurrah for Putnam Hall!" cried the others, and this cheer also went thelength of the course.
A race between four small boys was the first on the programme of events,and this was won by Pornell by three lengths. When the result wasannounced the Pornellites cheered lustily.
"What did we tell you!"
"Now go in and win the next race!"
The next contest was that between some students of Pornell and DanBaxter and his cronies. Both crews got away in good shape, and soon thebully's crew took the lead.
"Baxter's crew is going to win!"
"Wait, the race isn't finished yet!"
Half the race had been rowed, and still the Baxter crew kept the lead.
"Looks as if they might win after all," said Pepper.
"Well, I hope they do--for the honor of Putnam Hall," put in Jack,promptly.
"That's right--Putnam Hall against all comers!" cried Andy.
The race was almost done and Baxter's crew still had a lead of twolengths. They were rowing with all their might, but their strength wasalmost gone.
"Pull, fellows!" cried the leader of the opponents. And pull they diduntil the two boats were bow to bow.
"It's a tie!"
"No, the Pornell crew is ahead!"
"There they go over the line!"
"Pornell wins by a full length!"
The last cry was correct, and once again the Pornell followers yelledand cheered at the top of their lungs. Dan Baxter's crew was muchcrestfallen and rowed to the Putnam Hall boathouse looking glum enough.
"Now here come some more victims!" cried a Pornell enthusiast, as Daleand his crew appeared.
"Boys, we must win!" whispered Dale, with fire in his eyes. "We havesimply got to do it. If we don't those Pornell fellows will never getdone crowing over us."
"We'll win!" said Pepper, firmly. "Oh, we've got to do it! Row for allyou are worth!"
The two boats were soon at the starting-point, and the rules of the racewere explained.
"Are you ready?" was the question put.
There was a moment of silence.
Crack! went a pistol, and as the thin smoke floated over the lake thetwo crews took the water with their blades and were off.
Each crew rowed a swift, clear stroke, and for the first half-mile thetwo boats kept side by side.
"Looks like a tie!"
"No! the Pornell boat is crawling ahead!"
"This is Pornell's race too! Boys, this is our winning day!"
"Don't crow so soon," said Joe Nelson,
"Oh, Pornell is going to win," growled Reff Ritter. "Jack Ruddy andthose chaps can't row."
"They can row better than you can," put in Bart Conners.
"Bah!" grumbled Ritter, and walked to another point of the boathousefloat.
At the end of the first mile Pornell was slightly in advance. Seeingthis, Dale increased the stroke, and at a mile and a quarter the boatswere once again side by side.
"Putnam Hall is crawling up!"
"They'll win out yet!"
"Pull, Pornell, pull!" was the yell from the rival academy lads, and thePornell boys did pull, the perspiration streaming down the faces of RoyBock and his cronies.
"Gosh! this is a pace!" panted Andy.
"Don't talk!" came shortly from Dale. "Pull!"
Again he increased the stroke and Pornell did the same. A quarter of amile was covered and Pornell was exactly half a boat's length in thelead.
"It's Pornell's race!"
"Hurrah for Roy Bock and his crew!"
"This is a great day for Pornell Academy!"
"Go home, Putnam, and learn how to row!"
The cries continued as the Pornell boat continued to forge ahead untilit was nearly two lengths in advance. But the pace was beginning to tellon the rowers, and the fellow named Grimes was breathing withdifficulty.
"Keep it up--don't give in yet!" cried Roy Bock. "We're almost done!Pull!"
Grimes tried to do so, and so did another fellow named Passmore. Butthey were "all in," as it is called, and could not add an ounce ofstrength to their stroke. Roy Bock was also almost gone, and for theinstant the stroke was broken.
It was a chance that Dale had been looking for, and he was quick to takeadvantage of it. He called on his crew in a sharp way that caused themto brace up, and the stroke was increased wonderfully. Up crawled thePutnam Hall crew, until the other boat was but a quarter of a lengthahead.
"Now, boys, now, and the race is ours!" sang out Dale, and they gave aspurt. The line was about a hundred and fifty feet away, and over thisthey shot--the winners by a length and an eighth!