“The Rovers win!  The Rovers win!” was the shout that went up, and in the midst of the hubbub Dick and Tom crossed the line, winning by at least six lengths.  Koswell and Larkspur were so disgusted that they did not even finish, but stopped rowing and turned away from the float.

“The Rovers win,” announced Frank Holden.  “A fine race, too,” he added.  “Let me congratulate you,” and he waved his hand pleasantly to Dick and Tom.

“I got a pain in my side, and that made me miss the stroke,” said Jerry Koswell lamely.  “Some day I’ll race them again, and win, too.”

“You should have won this time,” growled Dudd Flockley when he was alone with his cronies.  “I dropped twenty dollars on that race.”

“I never thought they could row like that,” was Larkspur’s comment.  “I don’t think I want to row against them again.”

Dick and Tom were warmly congratulated by all their friends.  It had been a well-earned victory, and they were correspondingly happy.  Koswell was sourer than ever against them, and vowed he would “square up” somehow, and Larkspur agreed to help him.  Dudd Flockley was glum, for his spending money for the month was running low, and it was going to be hard to pay the wagers he had lost.

CHAPTER XIV

WILLIAM PHILANDER TUBES

On the following Saturday the Rover boys went down to Ashton in the afternoon.  They had arranged for the hire of a large touring car, with a competent chauffeur, and were to take Dora and the Laning girls out for a ride to another town called Toddville.  Here they were to have supper at the hotel, returning to Ashton in the evening.

Lest it be thought strange that the girls could get permission from the seminary authorities to absent themselves, let me state that matters had been explained by Mrs. Stanhope and Mrs. Laning to the principal of Hope, so Dora and her cousins were free to go out with the Rovers whenever they could go out at all.

“We’ll have the best time ever!” cried Tom enthusiastically.  “I hope you ordered a fine supper over the telephone, Dick.”

“I did,” was the reply.  “Just the things I know the girls like.”

“And a bouquet of flowers,” added Sam.  He knew that Grace loved flowers.

“Yes.  I didn’t forget them, Sam,”

The boys arrived in Ashton a little ahead of time, and while waiting for the chauffeur of the car to appear they walked down to the depot to see if there would be any new arrivals on the Saturday special.

When the train pulled into the depot a tall, well-dressed youth, with an elaborate dress-suit case and a bag of golf sticks, descended from the parlor car and gazed around him wonderingly.

“Are you—­ah—­sure this is—­ah—­Ashton?” he inquired of the porter.

“Yes, sah,” was the brisk answer.

“Not a—­ah—­very large place, is it, now?” drawled the passenger.