“What does Cornfield know about rowing, anyhow?”
But scarcely had the last remark been made when Jerry began to increase his stroke.
Slowly but surely his shell began to overlap that of Si Peters. Now he was half-way up, now three-quarters, now they were even!
“He can’t keep that stroke! It’s enough to kill him!”
“Can’t he? Look, he is actually walking away from Si.”
Like a flash he swept past Si Peters and reached the finish two and a half lengths ahead.
A rousing cheer from the Lakeview boys greeted him, while the Rockpointers were as mum as oysters.
Si Peters looked decidedly crestfallen. For several minutes he had nothing to say. Then some of his friends whispered into his ear.
“You must do it, Si,” said one of the number.
“All right, I will,” replied Peters doggedly, and hurried to the judges’ boat.
Every one was astonished, and none more so than Jerry.
“Where were you fouled?” asked one of the judges.
“That is a falsehood!” cried Jerry indignantly. “I never came anywhere near you.”
“I’m telling the truth,” said Si Peters. “If he hadn’t fouled me I would have beaten with ease.”
At once a loud murmur arose. Some sided with Jerry, while others took Si Peters’ part.
From hot words the boys of the rival towns almost came to blows.
In the midst of the quarrel a row-boat came down the lake carrying two elderly and well-known gentlemen, both residents of Rockpoint. Curious to know the cause of the trouble, the gentlemen came up to the judges’ craft, now moored along shore.
“Peters claims a foul up at the turning point,” said some one of the gentlemen.
“There was no foul there. Was there, Greenley?”
“None at all,” replied the second gentleman.
These assertions attracted attention. On inquiry it was learned that the two gentlemen had been up at the island fishing. They had watched the race in the meanwhile, and they were willing to make affidavit that Jerry had not interfered in the slightest degree with Si Peters.
“He took the outside, and he really gave Peters more room than was necessary.”
The two gentlemen were too well known to be doubted in what they said, and at once the judges refused to accept Si Peters’ plea.
“The race goes to Jerry Upton, who won it fairly.”
Then how Jerry’s friends did yell with delight! The lad was pounced upon and raised up on his friends’ shoulders, and away went the boat club boys around the town, Blumpo in advance of them blowing a big fish-horn.