"Yes. And you must be sure to be there."
"I will!"
Frank looked carefully about as he approached the campus of Riverview school. As he came near the place where the racing shell was kept he saw a light in the boathouse.
"That's queer," he mused, coming to a halt. "It's too late for any of the fellows to be in there. I wonder who it can be? It won't do any harm to take a look."
Cautiously he approached the building and peered in through a window. The sight he saw almost caused him to cry out in anger and amazement.
For there, standing over the shell, was Gerald Welter, the school bully. He had a lantern, and by the light of it Frank saw the gleam of a knife in his hand. As Frank looked he saw Gerald prepare to rip up the bottom of the shell, which act would utterly ruin it.
"The scoundrel!" murmured Frank.
The next instant the knife descended, its sharp point going clear through the frail shell. And then, with a cry of righteous anger, Frank dashed himself against the door of the boathouse, and fairly threw himself inside to confront the amazed and startled bully, who paused in the act of again plunging the knife into the racing craft.
CHAPTER XXI
THE FIGHT