"Hurrah for Edgemere!" shouted the girls.
The two canoes, with Edgemere a little ahead as well as they could see,
came gliding up the river, two streaks, red and green, in the
sunshine . . .
CHAPTER XXIX
THE RACE
The canoe race, which was the first of the events, was also the
best--as well as the last. Never was there wilder excitement on
Pee-wee's island than when the green and red canoes glided northward,
approaching the turning point.
The red canoe skilfully paddled by the Edgemere champion, Willie
Dawdle, was some ahead and gaining rapidly and the girls from Edgemere
High School could not contain themselves for joy. Among the Alligator
Patrol, too, the excitement ran high and shout upon shout for
Bridgeboro arose as Wingate Chase spurted to get the inner turn about
the island. He gained fast now and as the distance between the two
canoes shortened the air was rent with deafening yells for Bridgeboro.
The two contestants were abreast when suddenly amid the uproar could be
heard a voice, a voice singularly matter-of-fact and sensible, uttering
words which if not of excitement seemed at least pertinent to the
occasion, "How are they going to go around that blamed thing when it's
sailing up the river?"
Alas, it was too true. The most unusual development which could
possibly complicate an athletic event had occurred; the turning point
had deserted the race and was sailing majestically up the river. It
had already sailed a hundred feet or so before the watchers on the
mainland discovered the fact.
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