“Do you wish to claim this heat on a foul?”
“No, sir,” rejoined Rob instantly. “If it was an accident, that’s good enough for me. We don’t wish to take advantage of anything like that.”
“All right. Go ahead, then.”
The Hawks’ boat shot forward, and before Rob could gather up his line and coil it for another throw, they had towed the “sturgeon” across their base line.
Instantly from human throats, auto horns, and launch whistles a great uproar arose. While it was at its height, Bartley Holmes once more towed out the sturgeon, and placed it in position for the third and decisive struggle.
“We’ve got to win this final,” Hunt found time to whisper to Harding, while the boats changed bases. “If we capture it, we put the Hawks on top for the winter. If we lose it, we’ll have to take second place.”
“We’ll win it,” Dale assured him positively.
“It won’t be my fault if we don’t,” rejoined Hunt. Victory affected him as much as defeat. His cheeks were now flushed with a color that was not all caused by exertion. He openly triumphed over the Eagles as they rowed past.
The final did not open with the dash that had marked the two other heats. Both crews were evidently conserving their efforts for what they felt was to be a severe struggle. In fact, neither boat appeared in any hurry to reach the mark. Both coxswains contented themselves with keeping bow and bow, eyeing each other warily, however, on the alert for any unexpected move on the part of their rivals.
As before, it was Hunt’s harpoon that first found a resting place. But as it settled in the wood, Rob’s weapon flashed silverly, and skillfully fell so that his line was drawn across the shaft of the Hawk harpoonist’s weapon. Then with a quick jerk of his forearm, and, before the Hawks could slacken up, Rob drew his line taut.