The race was on at last. At the crack of the pistol, the three boats had jumped away, Alexandria taking a lead of half a length by a quick start.
The course was straightaway down the river, but against the tide.
A large crowd had a.s.sembled near the start and the finish to watch the race. Those at the starting point cheered wildly as the boats shot away.
Alexandria rowed with short, snappy strokes that made the boat jump, jump, jump all the time. The strokes of the Blue Cove crew and the Yale Combine were much alike.
Toots was c.o.xswain in the Yale boat, and proud indeed he was of the position. His black face shone with delight.
On the river was a small steam launch that was loaded with admirers of the Alexandria crew. They waved hand and hats and shouted like a lot of wild Indians when they saw the Alexandria boat increase its lead so that clear water could be seen between it and the other boats.
With a regular, long swinging stroke, the other boats kept side by side for a time. Then Frank"s crew began to gain slightly on the Blue Cove lads.
Steadily Merriwell drove them on. He did not attempt a stiff spurt so soon, but forced them gradually, drawing away from Blue Cove. Soon the Yale boat was close behind that of Alexandria. The latter spurted, and then it was that Frank held close, like a leech, determined not to permit the crew from up the river any further advantage.
The stroke of the Yale crew was strong and steady, sending the boat through the water at high speed. Before a mile had been made the short stroke of the Alexandria men was beginning to tell on them.
And Blue Cove was clinging in a remarkable manner, for all of the fact that it had lost one of its best men at the last moment. Anson Addison, caught in the dastardly attempt to ruin Merriwell"s boat, had been dropped from the crew and expelled from the club.
In vain Spencer had urged Noel Spudd to take Addison"s place in the boat. Spudd longed to do so, but did not dare disobey his father to such an extent.
So another and far less valuable man was subst.i.tuted, and Blue Cove felt that it had very little show of winning the race.
"You must save us, Merriwell," said Kent Spencer, a few moments before the start was made.
"I am sure we"ll do our best," nodded Frank.
The shouts of the Alexandria crowd on the launch became less and less confident as the Yale boat was seen to creep up on the leader. At last it lapped Alexandria. Then, despite the most desperate efforts of the crew from up the river, the Yale boat crept alongside and gradually took the lead.
On an elevated bank near the finishing point a crowd was seen. The ones a.s.sembled there were all aflutter with excitement.
Blue Cove was doing good work. Up beside Alexandria the boat was stealing, and it was plain that a most exciting finish would be made.
The cheering on the launch had ceased. It was keeping near the Yale boat, and, in the midst of his work, Frank heard a familiar voice declaring:
"They can"t win to-day-not much! The race is not over yet!"
Harlow was on the launch.
But it seemed plain enough to everybody that the Yale boat would cross the finish more than two lengths ahead of the others, for it was gaining rapidly now.
The crowd on sh.o.r.e was cheering, and it was a scene of wild excitement.
Suddenly something whizzed through the air and struck the water. Then there was an explosion, and the entire forward end of the Yale boat was blown to pieces!
The boat filled immediately, and the crew was in the water, while the other boats shot past and crossed the line together, it being difficult to tell which was leading.
"One of the greatest races ever rowed on the river," declared Kent Spencer in the boathouse that evening. "You Yale chaps would have won easily if it hadn"t been for that bomb that ruined your boat. As it was, that put you out of the race, and we got over the finish a little in advance of Alexandria. Blue Cove still holds the championship."
"Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah!" shouted the delighted lads.
"It"s lucky there were boats ready to give us a lift," said Jack Diamond. "Hans was floundering about like a maniac, and--"
"Who told me so?" cried the Dutch boy. "Dot Bodomac Rifer vater vos der thinnest sduff dot efer tried to valk on me. Id don"d seem unaple to subbort me ven I tried to svim oudt der sh.o.r.e to. I sunk der pottom to shust like you vos von sd.i.c.k uf vood."
"Where is Browning?" asked Fred Dobbs.
"Oh, he"s in the hotel, having a chill," laughed Rattleton. "The plunge in the river brought on the ague again."
"I don"t suppose there is any doubt as to the ident.i.ty of the fellow who threw the bomb?" said Noel Spudd, questioningly.
"Not a bit of it!" exclaimed Bart Hodge. "Miss Bellwood and Miss Spencer both saw him when he did the trick. He was on the steam launch. Miss Bellwood was looking at him through field gla.s.ses, and she is ready to swear it was Rolf Harlow."
"In that case," said Spudd, "I presume Mr. Merriwell will see that the fellow is punished, if he is arrested?"
"Bet your life on it!" cried Diamond. "Merry means to put Harlow where the birds won"t peck him. That chap has given Merry trouble enough."
"Anyway," said Kent Spencer, "we want you fellows to stay at Blue Cove a while longer. We"ve had more sport since you struck the Cove than ever before."
"Had to glear it-I mean glad to hear it," said Rattleton. "But you haven"t had any more sport than we have. It"s been the jolliest time of the whole trip for me, and as for Merriwell, Diamond and Hodge-well, there are attractions enough to keep them here the rest of their lives."
"The only gal I ever was able to ketch was away aout in Forth Wuth, Texis," put in Ephraim, grinning. "I kainder knocked the spots aout of a feller that was cuffin" her brother some, an" she stuck to me zif I was kivered all over with mewsledge. She was a peach, too, b"jee! Some time I"m goin" back aout there an" ax her will she splice to me. Ef she"ll have me, I"ll have her quicker"n a cat kin wink her eye."
"Vale," said Hans, with unusual sadness, "I don"t peen aple to had a girl catch me. Vot vos der madder, somehow? Don"d I peen peautiful py my faces?"
"Oh, yes!" cried Rattleton; "you are a perfect chromo! I don"t understand why all the girls are not trying to catch you."
"Mebbe you understood dot shust as pad as I did. I sed ub nighds dryin"
to haf dot vigger me out vot id vos, but now I don"d knew so much apoud id as you did pefore."
Frank Merriwell came bounding into the room, waving a sc.r.a.p of yellow paper over his head.
"A dispatch!" he cried. "It was just brought me from the nearest station. Harlow has been arrested in Alexandria!"
"Hurrah! hurrah!" shouted the boys.
"Will you appear against him?" asked Harry of Frank.
"I think I ought to."
"Certainly," came from several of the Blue Cove boys.
The matter was talked over for half an hour, and then Frank set off for the jail in which Harlow had been confined.
On the day following the rascal was brought out for a hearing.
He was held for trial and bail was placed at several thousand dollars.
As he could find n.o.body to go his bondsman he was compelled to remain in jail for the time being.