“She’s doing better than she ever did!” shouted Merritt to Tubby, who crouched in the center of the boat, ready to take any part in an emergency.

The other nodded and kept his eyes ahead on the white wake of the other three craft.

Suddenly the Albacore began to fall back.  As the Flying Fish roared by her, Rob heard a shout of something about “missing fire.”

A steady downpour of spray was drenching the occupants of the racer, but they paid scant heed to it.  Rob dived in his pockets and put on a pair of goggles.  The spray was blinding him.  He waved to Tubby to go further astern and keep the rear part of the boat well down when they made the sharp turn at the red buoy.

In an incredibly short time, it seemed, the turning buoy faced them.  Rob set his wheel over and spun the Flying Fish through the rougher water at the mouth of the inlet at as sharp an angle as he dared.  In a few seconds more they had passed the Snark and the Bonita, which were racing bow and bow.  The crew of the Flying Fish, though, knew that both boats had a time allowance over them, so that the mere passing didn’t mean much, unless they could increase the lead.

Faster and faster the boy’s craft forged ahead.  A thrill shot through Rob’s frame.  The Flying Fish was showing what she was made of.

But as he turned his head swiftly he saw that the hydroplane had rounded the stake and was coming down the straight stretch of water like an express train.  A great wave of water shot out on either side of her bow.  So low in the water had her powerful engines dragged her that she seemed to be barely on the surface, and yet, as the boys knew, she was actually “coasting” over the surface.

Try as he would, Rob could not get an ounce more speed out of the Flying Fish, and as the speedy hydroplane roared by them they heard a mocking shout from her crew.

Rob, more determined than ever to stick it out, sent the Flying Fish plunging at top speed through the wash of the speedy craft, hoping to keep up the distance between them at least equal.  But as he saw the hydroplane gradually drawing away and heard the great roar that went up from the thrilled spectators as she shot by the club house, his heart sank.

It looked as if the Plying Fish was beaten.  And now the club house loomed near once more.

“Go on, Plying Fish, go on!”

“You’ve got a time allowance on her!”

“Push along, Rob!”

“Kr-ee-ee-ee-ee!”

A tumult of other shouts roared in Rob’s ears as they tore past the crowded porch.

“Kr-ee-ee-ee-ee!” screamed back Merritt and Tubby, with waves of the hand to the brown uniformed figures they could see perched on every point of vantage.

Suddenly the Flying Fish began to creep up on the hydroplane, which had slowed down for some reason.

“Hurrah!  We’ve got’em now!” shouted Merritt, as he saw, far ahead, Jack and the other two occupants of the seeming winner leaning over the craft’s engine, the hood having been raised.