Joe Sedley was plainly annoyed over the fact that most of the spectators considered the race a tie.
“I think I was a full head to the good,” he declared emphatically. “Black Diamond was going as never before and in another fifty yards he’d have been a length ahead.”
“Well, we’ll have to see what the pictures have to say,” answered Jack. “Then, if it really was a tie, we’ll have to run it over again.”
“What do you think it was, Ruth?” questioned Sedley.
“I can’t say exactly, Joe,” the girl answered. “You both went past so very fast. But I snapped a picture, and so did the others, and perhaps they’ll tell the real story.”
“Well, I think it was up to the judges to render a decision and not wait for those photos,” answered the rich young man. “But of course I’m willing to do what Rover does,” and then Sedley rode away to join some of his friends.
The crowd, and especially those who had placed bets on the race, was keenly disappointed and a number of arguments started, some ending in wordy quarrels. The judges of the race asked that all photographs snapped at the finish be submitted to them if possible by the following morning.
So far the day had been ideal, but now a sudden summer shower was coming up and this caused the crowd to scatter rapidly, and the Rovers and Ruth lost no time in getting back to Valley Brook Farm.
Some years before the Rover boys had fitted up a developing and printing room in the old farmhouse, using for that purpose a side pantry which had running water. Randy and Fred were the two who had most interested themselves in the photographic art, and they took the exposed films to learn as quickly as possible what they might show.