“First of all there will be a race——”
“With the same two girls together, just as we are now?” asked Alice Endicott.
“No—one girl to a canoe, for this event. You can’t very well sit down when you want to paddle fast—you kneel somewhere in the middle of the canoe. So, if we can’t hire canoes there, we will have two races, and then let the winner of each compete.”
“That really would be the fairest thing to do, anyway,” said Frances. “Because we’ll be more used to these canoes than any others.”
“Then there will be another event when there are two girls in each canoe, and perhaps a relay race. And finally, there will be a Capsized-canoe Competition. Someone will take the canoe to the middle of the lake and upset it. As soon as the contestant sees this take place, she is to kick off her shoes and dive into the lake, right the canoe, bale the water out, and bring it safely—with its first occupant in it—to shore. This is undoubtedly the most difficult feat of all.”
“But how will you decide who has won the cup?” asked Ruth, when Miss Phillips had finished her explanation.
“Mr. Remington and I are going to decide on how to award the different points, and then ask three strangers—people of Silvertown, I mean—to judge the contest.”
“Mr. Remington!” repeated Marjorie. “Will he be there?”
Miss Phillips blushed. “There, now, I have said too much already. Suppose we say nothing more about it. It’s time to go to bed, anyway.”
The scouts did as the captain commanded, pausing only to put out the fire. They reserved further discussion of the subject of the matter until they were by themselves.