"
"And it would be impolite of them," added the innocent Bess, whereat
every one laughed.
The boys had been saving their strength. Now they paddled off and
their craft, one of brown and one green, seemed equal to any of the
others.
"Hello there!" called Jack. "Did you notice?"
"What?" asked Cora.
"The canoe--the Gerkin?"
"He means it has lines like the lost boat," said Cora. "I have not
seen it enough to know," she finished, but at the same time she took
the glasses to look at the new rival of the wild girl.
"Yes it has, I remember," said Bess. "I had a good look at it the
afternoon that they lost it. I was waiting for you to fix up your
boat Cora, and I saw the boys' canoe."
"Well, I suppose they could never be certain, as there must be more
than one boat built even on those lines," said Cora. "My! See how
close they are--the girl and the boys!"
"She's ahead!" exclaimed Belle, clapping her hands. "How I hope she
wins!"
"We all do!" declared Hazel.
Then they were silent. The first canoe was almost in, and it was
the one called the Gerkin, paddled by the boys.
"Go it girl!" screamed the boys from the Peter Pan.
"Beat them, girlie!" called the girls from the Petrel.
For one brief second the wild-looking girl turned in the direction
from which the voices had come. Hats were waved to her,
handkerchiefs flaunted and then she paddled--paddled straight ahead
and came into the finish first!
"Hurrah! Hurrah!" went up shout after shout.
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