“I don’t believe we can catch up to that boat even if the wind does freshen,” remarked Dale, soberly. “She’s got too much of a lead.”
“Here comes the breeze!” shouted Pepper, and he was right, the wind had freshened as if by magic, and at once the sloop bounded forward at an increased speed, cutting the water like a thing of life and sending a shower of spray over all those on board.
“Hi! I didn’t come out for a shower-bath!” yelled Pepper.
“Got to stand for it, though,” answered Jack, with a grin. “All for the glory of the cause, you know.”
The breeze kept increasing, and this caused the _Alice_ to heel well over on her side. This made Paul a little bit anxious.
“Hadn’t we better take in some sail?” he ventured. “We don’t want to be dumped into the lake.”
“Not yet,” answered Jack. “It will have to blow harder than this to send the _Alice_ over. There is a whole lot of lead in her keel.”
With the increase in the wind the _Alice_ kept gaining slowly but surely on the _Ajax_, and this gladdened the heart of the youthful owner. He looked ahead and saw that Fred Century was gazing back anxiously on the rival that was coming nearer.
“I guess he is wondering when we’ll take in some sail,” said Jack. “Well, he can keep on wondering.”
“He is taking in his topsail!” cried Pepper, a moment later, and the announcement proved correct. In the meantime the wind came stronger than ever, until it fairly whistled through the ropes aboard the _Alice_. Under ordinary circumstances Jack would have lowered not only his topsail but also his mainsail—or at least taken a reef in the latter—but now he was determined to win the race if taking a small risk would do it. By this time the other boats on the lake were making for various harbors.
But if Jack was willing to take a risk, so was Fred Century, and against the wishes of his two companions the lad from Pornell Academy kept all his sails flying. As a consequence the _Ajax_ suddenly careened and took aboard enough water to literally wash the deck and flood the standing-room.
“Hi, look out, or we’ll all be drowned!” yelled Will Carey. He was not much of a sailor or a swimmer.
“Oh, you mustn’t mind a dip like that,” said Fred Century, reassuringly, yet even as he spoke he looked anxiously at the sky and at the wind-clouds scurrying past. He knew that if the wind increased much more he would have to take in his topsail and his mainsail and perhaps his jib.