FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113  
114   115   116   117   118   >>  
on't hint at defeat!" shuddered Belle Meade. "We might be able to stand a Gridley defeat, but the boys couldn't." Preston's canoe now rested on the water, ready to be aligned at the referee's order. Gridley's craft seemed to be straining as she neared the line. Suddenly three sharp, short, shrill blasts sounded from the whistle of the judges' launch. "Prescott!" roared the referee. "Now, what's up, I wonder?" Dick asked himself, with another sinking feeling at heart. The judges' boat was making fast time toward the Gridley High School entry. CHAPTER XX "DINKY-BAT! HOT SAIL!" "Captain Prescott, what is wrong with your boat?" demanded Referee Tyndall, as the judges' launch stole up close. "Something seems to be wrong with us, I'll admit, sir," Dick made answer. "I'll be greatly obliged to you, sir, if you'll tell me what it is. "What are you towing?" asked the referee bluntly. "Towing?" repeated Dick in bewilderment. "That's what I asked," repeated the referee. "When you came down on this last spurt I'm sure that at one moment I saw a length of line rise above the water astern of you. Then, further back, I saw something else jerked to the surface." "Why, we can't be towing anything," Dick insisted. "You saw our canoe launched." "Late start, if you don't line the canoes up at once, referee," warned the time-keeper. But Mr. Tyndall had his own views. "The starting time will be delayed," he announced sharply. "Captain Prescott, take your canoe to the landing stage." "All right, sir." "Captain Hartwell you will follow." "Very good, sir." Going in to the landing stage Dick gave his crew an easy pace, yet they were soon alongside the float. "Now, take your canoe out of water, Gridley," commanded the referee, stepping ashore from the launch. "I want a look at the craft." Dick & Co. lifted the war canoe to the float bow first. Just as the stern cleared the water a cry went up from scores of throats. For the referee had grasped a line made fast to the bottom of the canoe near the stern. Hauling on that line he brought in several yards of it---then, at the outer end of the line came a light blanket, dripping. Through the middle of the blanket the end of the line had been secured. Dick Prescott gasped. His chums rubbed their eyes. Bob Hartwell, who had landed, looked on in utter consternation. "For the love of decency!" gasped Referee Tyndall. "Who
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113  
114   115   116   117   118   >>  



Top keywords:

referee

 

Prescott

 

Gridley

 
judges
 

launch

 
Tyndall
 

Captain

 
landing
 

Referee

 

Hartwell


repeated

 

towing

 

defeat

 

gasped

 
blanket
 
canoes
 
launched
 

sharply

 

starting

 

announced


delayed
 

decency

 

follow

 
warned
 

keeper

 

commanded

 

bottom

 

rubbed

 
scores
 
throats

grasped
 

secured

 
Through
 

Hauling

 
middle
 

brought

 

looked

 

stepping

 

landed

 

dripping


alongside

 

ashore

 

cleared

 

lifted

 

consternation

 

roared

 

whistle

 
sounded
 

shrill

 

blasts