Clemmons was pulling forty strokes to the minute, long, telling strokes they were, too, and the goal was near.
Merrill was upon his quarter, then abreast, then his sharp prow shot ahead amid the wildest enthusiasm, while suddenly as though to show he knew his strength and speed far better than all others he got daylight between his rival so well that he sped like an arrow across his bows, and [with a quick turn again fairly threw himself over the line], while the fact that Bemis Perry had suddenly forged a quarter of a length ahead of Clemmons and came in second, was hardly noticed in the pandemonium that followed the triumph of the “water wizard.”
“Mark Merrill crossed the line a winner.” (See [page 132])
CHAPTER XXXIII.
“HONORS EASY.”
The wild applause which greeted Mark Merrill as the boat race ended with his shooting across the finish a length in advance of Bemis Perry, who was a quarter of his boat ahead of Scott Clemmons, lasted for some time.
At last the cadets got the victor upon their shoulders and carried him around in spite of his great desire to hide himself from the furore his wonderful endurance and phenomenal speed had created.
“Every record broken!” cried one.
“He is a marvel!”