"I do feel sorry for Gladys, though," said Dolly. "It must have been hard—when she was so sure that she had won."
CHAPTER IX
THE SPY
"That was bad luck. You really deserved to win that race, Gladys," Dolly called out, as the Defiance came within hailing distance of the Eleanor again.
Gladys looked at her old friend but said not a word. It was very plain that the loss of the race, which she had considered already won, was a severe blow to her, and she was not yet able, even had she been willing, to say anything.
"That's very nice of you, Dolly," called Mary Turner. "But it isn't so at all. You sailed your boat very cleverly. We didn't think of going off after the wind until it was too late. I think it was mighty plucky of you to keep on when we had such a big lead. Congratulations!"
"Oh, what's the use of talking like that?" cried Gladys, furiously. "It was a trick—that was all it was! If we had had a real wind all the way, we'd have beaten you by half a mile!"
"I know it, Gladys. It was a trick," said Dolly, cheerfully. "That's just what I said. We'll have another race, won't we? And we'll pick out a day when the wind is good and strong, so that it will be just the same for both boats."
"Oh, you'd find some other trick to help you win," said Gladys, sulkily. "Don't act like that—it's easy enough for you to be pleasant. They'll all be laughing at me now for not being able to win when I had such a lead."