Then he ventured on a look behind him.
"Prescott won't catch up all day," grinned Hi to himself. "Oh,
I'm glad I insisted on this individual race!"
Gradually, and, to those on shore it seemed painfully, Dick gained
on the leader. Still, when the race was almost over, Hi was well
in the lead.
"Hi Martin! Hi Hi Hi!" yelled the North Grammar boys, dancing
and tossing their caps in their glee. "Prescott, where art thou?
Say, what did you try to get into the race for?"
"Now, I'll show the folks a few things," Hi resolved, putting
on the best spurts of speed that were in him. It was truly a
fine performance for a Grammar School boy.
Yet, to the amazement of most of the onlookers, Dick also was
doing some very speedy swimming now. A yard he gained on Martin,
then another and another. When they were still fifty yards from
the stakeboat Dick suddenly changed his stroke and surged ahead,
distinctly in the lead.
"Confound the human steam launch!" gasped Hi, almost choking,
as he saw the powerful strokes of the swimmer ahead. "He'll make
me look like a fool if I don't haul up on him---and the distance
left is so confoundedly short!"
Now it could be seen that Martin was exerting every ounce of energy
and strength that he possessed.
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