The Hawks’ craft shot forward. Dale’s sharp eyes had seen that Rob’s spear had only lodged lightly in the “fish,” whereas Hunt’s harpoon was firmly embedded. The move was successful. As the lines tautened, Rob’s harpoon point was jerked out of the “sturgeon.” With a shout, the Hawks shot forward for their float.
“W-e-l-l!” yelled the Hawks’ crowd ashore, in further ironical astonishment.
“Hard luck!” encouraged Merritt from the stern, as Rob hauled in. “Try again.”
“All right, if you fellows will put me alongside. I guess all my fingers have turned to thumbs,” rejoined Rob. Not a trace of anger over his failure to spear the fish revealed itself. He seemed as sunny and good-natured as ever.
The Eagles gave way with a will. They would need every ounce of their muscle and reserve force if they were to overtake the seemingly victorious Hawks. But with leaps and bounds, the Eagle boat came upon the other a few hundred feet from the base line. Again Rob cast, and again he missed—but this time there was a reason. As his harpoon had launched through the air, Harding had given the line attached to the “sturgeon” a slight tug. Light as it was, however, it was sufficient to pull the floating target out of the harpoon reach.
“Foul!” shouted Merritt angrily, from the stern of the Eagles’ boat. He, too, apparently, had seen the action of Dale, and instantly called the attention of the referee to it. Bartley Holmes was paddling near by, and immediately came alongside.
“What’s the trouble?” he demanded.
“Why, Dale Harding jerked the rope just as Rob cast,” explained Merritt. “Mustn’t they be penalized for a foul?”
“It was an accident!” cried Harding, turning rather white under his tan. “I was stooping down to fix a toggle pin and maybe I accidentally touched the line. I don’t believe, though, it made any difference.”
“If you touched the line at all, you infringed on a rule,” declared the referee. Then to Rob: