ve Darrin threw himself on
the grass, remarking:

"This morning teaches us something! We're in no class with those
Preston High School boys. We've no business racing, in the name
of our school, before next summer!"

CHAPTER XVII

THE GOOD WORD BY WIRE

"We'll race within a few days," Dick declared serenely. "We've
got to race soon, for our funds won't hold out long and we can't
stay here all summer."

"The Athletic Council will thank us for losing the race," murmured
Greg Holmes, ironically.

"We won't lose," Dick maintained, "unless you fellows throw the
race against Gridley."

"Throw the race?" echoed Tom Reade indignantly. "Dick Prescott,
do you think we'd do a thing like that?"

"I'm sure you wouldn't," their big chief admitted coolly.

"Do you mean to say that we didn't do our best this morning?"
questioned Danny Grin.

"Our very best?" added Hazelton.

"We all did the best that was in us---this morning," Dick went
on. "But we'll be a lot better prepared when we get into a real
race."

"I don't believe I can paddle any harder than I did at the finish
this morning," Reade argued. "In fact, I know I can't. My back
aches yet with the work that I did."

"I don't doubt it," Dick smiled. "I know that my back aches."

"Then how are we going to win in any other race against Preston
High School?" Darrin asked curiously.

"Did you fellows study the paddling work of the Prestons this
morning?" Prescott asked.

"I saw their paddles ahead of us all the time," Greg murmured.

"That was a good place to have their paddles, for study," Dick
laughed. "Couldn't you see, from their paddling, why they beat
us with ease?"

"No! Could you?" challenged Tom.

"Yes. The Preston fellows dip their paddles better than we do.
They dip so that the blade always cuts the breeze, instead of
meeting it. When they recover they turn their paddles so as to
slip them out of the water without throwing any back strain on
the canoe's progress. I was studying their paddling work all
the time, and I hoped that you fellows were doing the same."

"The Prestons have a lighter, swifter canoe, anyway," contended
Dave.

"I think they have some advantage over us, that way," Dick nodded.
"At the same time I am certain that we ought to beat Preston
by beating their style of paddling."

"Beating their style of paddling?" echoed Reade. "Why, according
to what you've told us we can't even equal their paddling."

"