"Hi you! What do you mean by going ahead?" piped out Randy. "Come on, Andy, or they'll beat us."
"Maybe they can beat a drum, but they can't beat us," cried Andy.
And then he and his twin increased their strokes so that presently their boat was once more beside the other.
The girls were as much interested as the boys in the impromptu race, and they soon began to shout words of encouragement.
"Pull! pull! we're going to win!" cried May.
"Not a bit of it! Our boat will get there first!" sang out Alice.
"You can't beat us!" came from Annie.
"He crows best who crows last," cried Ruth.
"Right you are!" came pantingly from Jack; and then, as he saw the look of encouragement in Ruth's face, he redoubled his efforts. Fred did the same, and when they came into plain view of the tiny dock at the end of Foxtail Island their boat was two full lengths ahead of the other.
"Hi you! What kind of a race is this, anyhow?" shouted out Andy, gaily. "Why don't you keep side by side and be sociable?"