“Stuffer had been eating too much,” said Pepper. And the always-hungry lad afterwards admitted that this was true.
The third race was a four-oared affair between Jack, Pepper, Andy, and Joe Nelson on one side, and Paxton and several chums on the other. Baxter had been expected to row in this, but fell out at the last moment, stating he was not well. Privately, he was afraid of losing, for he knew Jack and his friends were good oarsmen.
The race was for a mile, and at the discharge of a pistol both crews started in fine shape.
“Go it, Paxton!” was the cry. “You can win if you try!”
“Pull, Pepper, pull!”
“Make every stroke tell, Jack!”
On and on swept the two boats, and for the first half of the course kept side by side.
“It’s going to be a tie race!”
“Pull, Paxton! Pull, Leeds!”
“See, Paxton’s boat is going ahead!”