Up the lake they went again! Now the Petrel was ahead and now the Mischief until the closeness of the two became absorbing.
"The best race of the day!" the judges were declaring. "Neither has it all her own way!"
"Plucky girls," said another of the men at the stand. "Whatever happened when they stopped they must have been well able to handle, from the way they caught up again. I thought they were out of it that time!"
"We all did," put in some one else, "but I have seen that little girl on the lake before. She knows something about a motor boat."
"Here they come!" Jack yelled. "Just look at Cora! Isn"t she fine!"
"And Hazel!" put in Paul with a smile.
"How about Bess and Belle?" asked the fickle Walter. "I think they look just sweet!"
Only two more "legs," and the Petrel was still ahead!
One was covered, with the Mischief so close that only those in the best position could tell which one led.
"Steady, Hazel!" cautioned Cora. Straight as an arrow she directed the wheel.
Then there was a splash from a nearby motor boat. A shout and screams!
"Overboard!" yelled the frantic onlookers. "A child overboard!"
It was just at the side of the Petrel!
"Hazel! The engine! Bess, the wheel!" shouted Cora, and before any one knew what she was about, she had jumped into the water and was making for the spot were the child had gone under.
The boys in the Mischief did not stop. Hazel took the engine and Bess the wheel, realizing that Cora meant for them to finish.
Presently she came up with the child in her arms!
"Go it, girls!" she called, "Win! Win!"
The Mischief was close alongside. Cora was clinging to the side of the boat from which the child had dropped, while the almost fainting mother was recovering her little one. The others a.s.sisted Cora in, and forgot all about her race.
But Cora stood spellbound in the c.o.c.kpit, dripping wet. She stood there ignoring the thanks poured out on her.
"Steady, Hazel!" she called. "Win--win for me!"
That was enough. The motor girls, those in the Petrel, realizing that their leader was safe, now determined to "win for her."
The Mischief had gained in the time that Cora swung overboard, and now was just abreast of the Petrel. The slight change of course also told in the last few yards, but now Hazel and Bess forgot everything but the call of Cora to win, and their boat, like a flash, sprang up to its opponent and pa.s.sed it by the closest record made in any of the races.
"Hurrah! Hurrah!" rang out in their ears.
"A double victory!" shouted one of the judges. Then the Petrel was turned back to get Cora who was in the other motor boat.
The boys in the Peter Pan had not seen Cora dive over for the child, but as quickly as they heard the report, that was now being spread about, they made for the boat from which the accident occurred.
Back with them went the boat of the accident crew, and when Cora finally returned to her own craft she had an escort of honor to the judges stand.
"First prize for the Petrel!" announced the head judge. "And the honor medal for life-saving to Miss Cora Kimball, the leader of our brave little crew of motor girls."
CHAPTER XIII
VICTORS AND SPOILS
"Wasn"t it exciting!" Belle was saying to the little party that had gathered around Cora as she received their praise and congratulations after it was all over. "I never dreamed that boat races could furnish so many kinds of excitement."
"I don"t call it all delightful," objected Bess putting her arms around the still wet form of the girl who had made the rescue, "and I don"t want to see Cora jump overboard that way again. I shall never forget it."
"A good way to find out how much folks think of me" replied Cora.
"I really didn"t mind it a bit, once I knew that I could get the child before she got under a boat. That was all that worried me."
"Your cup is a beauty though, sis," said Jack, who was examining the trophy. "I think it"s prettier than the one we lost. Paul is not satisfied that we lost fairly though, and he"s up there now disputing it."
"What good can that do now?" asked Belle.
"No telling. Paul knows what he is about," replied Jack. "But say, did you know that the wild girl in the canoe is deaf and dumb?"
"No!" exclaimed all the girls in one voice.
"Yes that"s what the dark fellow who was trailing her told the judges, and that is why, I guess, she scampered off so. Too bad!
She is pretty too."
"And did the man take her prize?" asked Cora.
"Sure thing," replied the brother. "He said he was her guardian."
Cora thought for a moment. "Seems to me," she said finally, "that she turned towards us when we shouted to her."
"Sometimes deaf people know such things by instinct," Jack offered as an explanation. "I thought too, that she gave us a knowing glance."
"Pure conceit," said Ed. "Wallie claimed the glance, but I saw her hair float in my direction."
"She"s a star canoeist," declared Jack, "and I should like to be better acquainted with her."
"Can you talk with your fingers?" asked Belle. "I know a little of the sign language, but I would not be too sure that I could carry on a conversation."
"But you could introduce one," insisted Jack, "and once she knew I wanted to know her--I might depend upon--true love to make known all the rest."
"Here! Here! Jackie!" cautioned Cora, "you are not to talk of love--until mother comes home. You have promised to look after me."
"As if Ed and Walter couldn"t do that ten times better than I can.
But h.e.l.lo! Here comes Paul--the Paul."