Page:Castlemon--Joe Wayring at Home.djvu/233

 leaders. Noble saw defeat staring him in the face, and believing that he could gain a few feet on Hastings and his companion, and throw Loren out of the race at the same time, he resorted to an expedient which drew a warning shout from Joe Wayring, who was contentedly following in Tom's rear.

"Look out there, Frank!" cried Joe. "You'll be foul of somebody in a minute more."

"I told Tom that Loren Farnsworth should never come out at the top of the heap in this race, and I meant every word of it," said Frank, to himself; and paying no attention to Joe's warning, he shot his canoe across Loren's bow, passing so close to him that the latter was obliged to stop paddling and back water in order to escape the collision which for a second or two seemed inevitable.

This was Tom Bigden's opportunity and he was prompt to improve it. With a movement so quick and dextrous that it looked like an accident to the people on shore who witnessed it, Tom unjointed his paddle, dropped one blade of it overboard, and laying out all his strength