"The race? Why, there won't be any race now—that is, so far as we are concerned. Some of the other ships will carry off the cup now."
Harper smiled wanly.
"There must be. The crew must run the race just the same."
"But it will not be possible without you."
"Perhaps there is no one on board who understands the racing game quite as well as I do. I have run many of these gig races, Davis. But there is one man on board in whom I have great confidence. He has the pluck. He knows rowing. Even if he doesn't win, which could hardly be expected of him, he'll make some of the other fellows work for their laurels."
Dan's eyes were glowing.
"I—I am so glad to hear you say that, Mr. Harper. That is good news, indeed. Then we will have the race after all?"
"Yes; the race will be run. They shall not have an opportunity to say that the battleship 'Long Island' got cold feet at the last minute."
"They'd better not say it before me," answered Dan in a low voice.
"That's the talk!"