The Cubs saw him arguing vigorously with his own coach and Mr. Hatfield. The two men listened to his complaint but did not change the list of scheduled events.
“It’s this way, Ross,” Mr. Hatfield explained. “The Cubs steadily have increased their endurance as well as their speed. At the beginning of the season, a 50-yard swim was a hard race for everyone concerned. Now it’s a breeze. The 75-yard freestyle is a far better test of one’s real ability.”
“Sure, I guess so,” Ross admitted, but he looked worried. Though the Den 1 coach had urged him many times to practice the longer length, he nearly always had stopped short at the end of two turns.
While waiting for the starting signal, Dan at the other end of the pool allowed his gaze to wander over the packed audience. In the back row near the door he caught a glimpse of a short little man whose sharp-featured face gave him a start.
“Midge, look over there!” he muttered, nudging his companion.
“Where?”
“He’s gone now,” Dan returned. “Slipped out through the door. For just a minute I thought—”
A shrill blast from Mr. Hatfield’s whistle drove the matter from his mind entirely. Scrambling to his feet, he lined up for the first event of the meet.
In rapid order the events were run through, the back stroke, fancy diving, the 100-yard relay race, and a breast stroke event. With only one event remaining—the 75-yard freestyle, the score stood 20 to 16 in favor of Den 2.
To win the meet the Cubs of Den 2 knew that Dan must defeat Ross for first place. But in the freestyle relay event, the Den 1 swimmer had put on a spectacular burst of speed to capture the event. The prospects looked discouraging.