“Then after this you want to do more thinking,” Dick laughed.  “But don’t feel too disappointed, Preston.  Just as soon as we receive sanction from our Athletic Council we’ll give you a race in earnest, and a chance for all the glory you are able to take away from us.”

There was some further good-natured talk, after which the two canoe clubs separated.

Dick guided the “Scalp-hunter” back to camp.  There, as soon as the canoe had been hauled ashore, Dave Darrin threw himself on the grass, remarking: 

“This morning teaches us something!  We’re in no class with those Preston High School boys.  We’ve no business racing, in the name of our school, before next summer!”

CHAPTER XVII

THE GOOD WORD BY WIRE

“We’ll race within a few days,” Dick declared serenely.  “We’ve got to race soon, for our funds won’t hold out long and we can’t stay here all summer.”

“The Athletic Council will thank us for losing the race,” murmured Greg Holmes, ironically.

“We won’t lose,” Dick maintained, “unless you fellows throw the race against Gridley.”

“Throw the race?” echoed Tom Reade indignantly.  “Dick Prescott, do you think we’d do a thing like that?”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t,” their big chief admitted coolly.

“Do you mean to say that we didn’t do our best this morning?” questioned Danny Grin.

“Our very best?” added Hazelton.

“We all did the best that was in us—–­this morning,” Dick went on.  “But we’ll be a lot better prepared when we get into a real race.”

“I don’t believe I can paddle any harder than I did at the finish this morning,” Reade argued.  “In fact, I know I can’t.  My back aches yet with the work that I did.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Dick smiled.  “I know that my back aches.”

“Then how are we going to win in any other race against Preston High School?” Darrin asked curiously.

“Did you fellows study the paddling work of the Prestons this morning?” Prescott asked.

“I saw their paddles ahead of us all the time,” Greg murmured.

“That was a good place to have their paddles, for study,” Dick laughed.  “Couldn’t you see, from their paddling, why they beat us with ease?”

“No!  Could you?” challenged Tom.

“Yes.  The Preston fellows dip their paddles better than we do.  They dip so that the blade always cuts the breeze, instead of meeting it.  When they recover they turn their paddles so as to slip them out of the water without throwing any back strain on the canoe’s progress.  I was studying their paddling work all the time, and I hoped that you fellows were doing the same.”

“The Prestons have a lighter, swifter canoe, anyway,” contended Dave.

“I think they have some advantage over us, that way,” Dick nodded.  “At the same time I am certain that we ought to beat Preston by beating their style of paddling.”