Page:Boys of Columbia High on the River.djvu/117

Rh afraid of him. He is heart and soul in the game, and would pull his heart out to come in ahead of the other two boats; but gameness alone isn't everything. The excitement will be too much for him. If there had been time I'd have tried out Ginger Harper to take his place."

"It's a pity you didn't, that's all. But Jonsey can pull like a fiend, and let's hope he lasts through. Once we're up around the head of the island it will come easier on us all. Still, he seems to be the weak link in the chain."

Others coming around just then, the confidential conversation was brought to an end. Already some of the minor races were being engineered, for the length of the programme necessitated an early start. Other interesting things had been scheduled for that afternoon, and it was intended to finish all the river events before noon.

Half a dozen entered for the canoe races, which were fiercely contested. When a Clifford lad managed, by dint of clever work, to bring his little craft to the stake first, and was declared winner, the shouts of his friends told that there must have been a general exodus of Clifford people to Columbia on this wonderful Fourth.

After that came the laughable tub race. There were just four contestants in this race, all of them apparently spry chaps but Buster. Because of his