Jack. "Marion, sit a little
more to the left, please. There, that's it--now we'll go along
straighter."

"I wish I could help row," she said. "But that wouldn't be fair. But,
oh, Jack! you must beat him!"

Slowly, but surely, they approached the Sister Rocks. Being ahead, St.
John turned in, to take the shortest cut around the turning-stake, if
such the rocks may be called.

"Too bad, Jack, you will have to go outside," cried Marion.

"Never mind, I'll beat him, anyway," answered our hero, and now let
himself out.

The added strength to his stroke soon told, and before long he began to
crawl close to St. John's craft. Then he overlapped his opponent and
forged ahead.

"Hurrah! you are ahead!" cried Marion excitedly, but in a voice her
cousin might not hear. "Keep up, Jack; you are doing wonderfully well."

Our hero did keep up, and when he reached the first of the Sister Rocks
he was more than two boat-lengths ahead.

He knew the rocks well, and glided around them skillfully, with just
enough water between the rocks and the boat to make the turning a safe
one.

"Now for the home stretch!" he murmured, and began to pull as never
before. He felt certain he could defeat St. John, but he wished to make
the defeat as large as possible. "He'll find even a nobody can row," he
told himself, with grim satisfaction.

To have Jack go ahead of him drove St. John frantic, and as he drew
closer to the rocks he became wildly excited.

"He must not win this race--he a mere nobody," he muttered. "What will
Marion think if he wins?"

The thought was maddening, and he pulled desperately, first on one oar
and then on the other. Around the rocks the waters ran swiftly, and
before he knew it there came a crash and his craft was stove in and
upset. He clutched at the gunwale of the boat, but missed it, and
plunged headlong into the bay.

When the mishap occurred Jack was paying sole attention to the work cut
out for him, consequently he did not notice what was taking place. Nor
did Marion see the disaster until several seconds later.

"St. John will----" began the girl, and then turned deadly pale. "Oh,
Jack!" she screamed.

"What's the matter?" he cried, and stopped rowing instantly.

"Look! look! St. John's boat has gone on the rocks and he is overboard!"
she gasped.

"How foolish for him to row so close," was Jack's comment. And then he
added, in something like disgust, "I reckon the race is off now."

"We must go