Ross’ teammates talked to their coach briefly. Then before the audience or Den 2 swimmers could leave the pool, a whistle blasted for attention.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we regret that an error has been made in scoring,” an official announced. “It has been brought to notice that one of the contestants, Ross Langdon, failed to touch the wall at the end of the first length.”
A buzz of conversation greeted this announcement. Brad and Dan glanced quickly at each other, and then at Ross. The face of the latter was as black as a summer rainstorm.
“Due to this infraction of the rules, Ross has been disqualified,” the official continued. “Dan Carter wins first place.”
A mighty cheer rocked the pool gallery. Even heavier applause broke out as new figures went up on the scoreboard:
Den 2—24 Den 1—21.
Brad and the other Den 2 teammates swarmed about Dan, clapping him on his dripping shoulders.
“Dan, you did it!” Red Suell congratulated him. “Now the matches are even! If we win the third meet, that silver cup is in the bag.”
“IF is right,” Dan laughed. “Don’t forget, this victory was a fluke.”
From Mr. Hatfield, the Cubs learned that only the good sportsmanship of the Den 1 teammates had been responsible for their success. Ross himself had made no mention of his failure to touch the wall, and his error had gone unnoticed by officials.