THE BOAT RACE
"Now mind," said Frank to his brother and the other members of the crew the next morning when they gathered in the boathouse, "not a word of what happened last night. It's a disgrace to our school to have a fellow like Welter in it, and we don't want it to get out."
"But what about the hole in the boat?" asked Ward, he and Jack, in addition to Andy, being the only ones whom Frank had told about the damage to the shell and the fight that followed.
"Oh, no one else need know about it," went on the captain. "We'll just patch it up and keep it to ourselves."
"You've got a cut chin, how will you explain that?" Jack wanted to know.
"I won't have to."
"But maybe Welter will talk," suggested Andy.
"Not much," was the significant reply from Frank. "No, it will be kept quiet until after we're up before the doctor and even after that I don't think it will come out. I'm going to tell exactly how everything happened and if I'm allowed to stay here I'll make Welter leave the school, or we'll send him to 'Coventry' and he'll be glad to quit."
"That's the stuff!" exclaimed Ward. "Well, now let's see if we can do anything with the shell."
It was the morning of the race, a glorious fall day, just right for a swift row. Many of the schoolboys had gathered about the boathouse, but none was admitted. Coach Wallace was on hand early and some excuse was made to him in regard to the hole in the shell. He helped the crew to fix it, and, being wise in his day, he asked no questions.