hold him back until the race was almost over.
In the meanwhile, how was Jerry faring?
With long, quick strokes, he swept on, side by side with Si Peters.
It was going to be a close contest, and the spectators along the lake front went wild with enthusiasm.
“Don’t let up, Si!”
“Show the Rockpointers what you can do, Jerry!”
“A dollar that Si wins by a length!”
“A dollar that Jerry wins by two lengths!” At last the two reached Rocky Island, which formed the turning point.
They were still side by side, but Si had the inner turn all to himself, while Jerry had to move about in a much larger area.
This brought Jerry a good length behind Si Peters when the return was begun.
Si Peters saw this and grinned to himself.
“You ain’t in it a little bit, Jerry Upton!” he called out, but Jerry did not reply. He was not foolish enough to waste breath just then in talking.
Over the smooth water swept the two long shells, each boy working with quick and long strokes.
Now the finishing stake was in view. Si Peters still kept his lead.
“It’s Si’s race, no doubt of it!”
“Didn’t I say Jerry Upton wouldn’t be in it?”
“What does Cornfield know about rowing, anyhow?”
But scarcely had the last remark been made when Jerry began to increase his stroke.
Slowly but surely his shell began to overlap that of Si Peters. Now he was half-way up, now three-quarters, now they were even!
“See him gaining!”
“Look! look! Jerry is ahead!”
“He can’t keep that stroke! It’s enough to kill him!”
“Can’t he? Look, he is actually walking away from Si.”
Jerry was now “letting himself out.”
Like a flash he swept past Si Peters and reached the finish two and a half lengths ahead.
A rousing cheer from the Lakeview boys greeted him, while the Rockpointers were as mum as oysters.
Si Peters looked decidedly crestfallen. For several minutes he had nothing to say. Then some of his friends whispered into his ear.
“You must do it, Si,” said one of the number.
“All right, I will,” replied Peters doggedly, and hurried to the judges’ boat.
“I claim a foul!” he cried out loudly.
Every one was astonished, and none more so than Jerry.
“Where were you fouled?” asked one of the judges.
“Up at the turning point.”
“That is a falsehood!” cried Jerry indignantly. “I never came anywhere near you.”
“I’m telling the truth,” said Si Peters. “If he hadn’t fouled me I would have beaten with ease.”
CHAPTER VIII.
A PRISONER OF THE ENEMY
At once a loud murmur arose. Some sided with Jerry, while others took Si Peters’ part.
From hot words the boys of the rival towns almost came to blows.
In the midst of the quarrel a row-boat came down the lake carrying two elderly and well-known gentlemen, both residents of Rockpoint. Curious to know the cause of the trouble, the gentlemen came up to the judges’ craft, now moored along shore.
“Peters claims a foul up at the turning point,” said some one of the gentlemen.
“You mean up at the island?”
“Yes.”
“There was no foul there. Was there, Greenley?”
“None at all,” replied the second gentleman.
These assertions attracted attention. On inquiry it was learned that the two gentlemen had been up at the island fishing. They had watched the race in the meanwhile, and they were willing to make affidavit that Jerry had not interfered in the slightest degree with Si Peters.
“He took the outside, and he really gave Peters more room than was necessary.”
The two gentlemen were too well known to be doubted in what they said, and at once the judges refused to accept Si Peters’ plea.
“The race goes to Jerry Upton, who won it fairly.”
Then how Jerry’s friends did yell with delight! The lad was pounced upon and raised up on his friends’ shoulders, and away went the boat club boys around the town, Blumpo in advance of them blowing a big fish-horn.
“You is de boy!” said the homeless youth. “You is de best oarsman on de lake!”
Harry was in the crowd, and when he told how he had outwitted Wash Crosby every one roared.
The race, however, made lots of ill-feeling. The Rockpoint boys could not stand defeat, and that evening half a dozen rows started in as many different places.
Sticks and stones were freely used, and many boys went home with their arms and heads tied up.
Jerry became involved in one of the worst of the fights in rather a peculiar manner. He was on his way home rather late, thinking all was over and that the Rockpointers had departed, when he heard a hoarse cry for help from down a side street.
He recognized the voice as that of Blumpo Brown, and at once hurried to the spot, there to find the youth at the mercy of four of the Rockpoint boys, including Wash Crosby, Si Peters, and two others named Banner and Graves. The quartet had poor Blumpo down on his back and were kicking him as hard as they could.
“You cowards!” shouted Jerry as he rushed up, “to kick a fellow when he’s down!”
“This is none of your affair,” shouted Si Peters. “He insulted us, and we won’t take an insult from anybody, much less an Indian coon.”
“Da jess pitched inter me!” howled Blumpo. “Sabe me!”
“Let up, I say!” went on Jerry, and, clutching Si Peters by the shoulder, he flung the big Rockpointer flat on his back several feet away. Then Jerry pitched into the others of the crowd.
This gave Blumpo a chance to rise. He scrambled up and let out a long and loud yell for help. Luckily, some other boys were not far away. They heard the cry and arrived on a run.
“We must skip now!” cried Wash Crosby to Si Peters. “We’ll have the whole town on us in another minute.”
