Taking a deep breath, Dick Prescott shouted:
"Remember what Gridley demands! No defeats. Dash ahead, Gridleys!
Now—-go in and kill yourselves for the honor of your school!"
Dick was far from meaning that literally, but his quick eye had measured the remaining distance of the course.
He was captain enough to know just what each of his men could endure, and for how long they could stand up under it.
"Life is of little use to the vanquished!" Dick shouted on. "Go in to win—-kill yourselves!"
At an earlier point on the course it would have been fearfully bad leadership. It would have resulted in disaster had any of Dick & Co. had any form of serious physical weakness.
But Dick Prescott knew his boys!
"Kill yourselves!" he shouted out again, as he saw the two canoes running neck and neck. "For the honor of Gridley High School!"
Right noble was the response, though flesh and blood could not stand this new and savage grilling for long.
"Wake up, Trentville!" shouted Ted Pascal, when he saw the
"Scalp-hunter" gaining. "Wake up! Let out all of your steam!
Push!"