Page:Castlemon--Joe Wayring at Home.djvu/246

 good hand with a double paddle, and confident that if any of the three recognized champions beat him when the afternoon race came off, they would have to make their canoes get through the water faster than they ever did before. Then there was the upset race, which Ralph was almost sure he could win, and the greasy pole walk, with Miss Arden's silk flag to go to the best man—must they give up all these things just because Tom had been ruled out?

"What's the reason I am ruled out?" exclaimed Tom, who was as mad as a boy ever gets to be. "Isn't it because I tried my best to help Loren win the paddle race? I tell you that you don't stand the least show of winning any thing; but stay if you want to."

Ralph and Loren were well enough acquainted with Tom to know that there was a volume of meaning in his last words. If they braved his anger they would be sure to suffer for it in the end, and if Tom turned against them, where could they look for friends and associates? Prime and his followers would not have any thing more to do with them; Joe Wayring, unless he was as blind as a bat, had seen quite