" advised Tom.
"I've just been reading in the evening paper that the city authorities
in New York have taken all the elevators out of all the biggest
hotels."

"Why?" demanded Hi.

"The paper says it's because the elevators are considered too
dangerous," Tom replied innocently.

"I don't believe it," scoffed Hi. "Why, how could people get
up to their rooms on the fifteenth or eighteenth floor of one
of the skyscraper hotels?"

"Oh, well," Tom replied artlessly, "according to the paper the
hotels are all going to be equipped with safety-raisers."

"Safety-razors?" demanded Hi Martin blankly. "You idiot, what
good would safety-razors be for getting people up twenty floors
in a hotel?"

There was a moment's pause. Then a few chuckles came, followed
by a few more.

"Whoop!" yelled Danny Grin. Snatching the bathing suit bag from
Hi's hand, Dalzell got a good hold on the tie strings, then swung
the bag, bringing it down on the top of Hi's head.

"Run along home, Martin!" jeered Dan. "If don't tumble before
bed time, then ask your father how it is that dangerous elevators
can be replaced with safety-raisers. Here's your bag. Scoot---before
an idea hits you!"

Red-faced and angry, but still puzzled, Hi snatched at his bathing
suit bag and hastily decamped.

"Now he'll beat you at swimming or die tomorrow," predicted Dave
grimly.

Chapter XXIII

WHO WON THE SWIMMING MATCHES?

Thanks to Len Spencer's interest in schoolboy athletics, there
was a goodly crowd gathered at the river bank the next afternoon.
Many people came out in boats. There were at least a dozen launches,
including the one that bore Len Spencer, who had been chosen to
conduct the races.

The owner of a two room boathouse which adjoined a long wharf
had yielded to Spencer's request for a loan of this property.
In the boathouse the two school teams disrobed and donned their
bathing suits.

Dave Darrin had been called upon to captain the swimming squad
from the Central Grammar. With him were Tom, Greg, Dan, Harry,
Henderson and Ross. It was as good and representative a team
as Central Grammar could furnish.

Bill Rodgers captained the squad from North Grammar. Bill had
had his fellows three times in the water, and was proud of them.

Just ten minutes before the time for calling the contestants Dave
Darrin led his squad from the boathouse. Out along the pier they
ran and dived in.

"The water's just fine for swimming to-day," ecsta