“We came over to ask a favor of you,” replied Tom, as soon as Joe gave him a chance to speak. “Would you mind taking in our names at the next meeting of the canoe club?”
“On the contrary, I shall be pleased to do it,” answered Joe, readily. “You have been pretty sly since your canoes came to hand, but we know more about you than you think we do,” he added, as he led the way through the carriage-porch and down the terraced bank toward the boat-house.
“I don’t quite understand you,” said Tom.
“I mean that we have watched you while you were taking your morning and evening spins up and down the lake, and we have come to the conclusion that some of us are going to get beaten. I’ll say this much for you, Bigden: I never saw a Shadow canoe get through the water, until I saw yours going down the lake yesterday afternoon.”
“Thank you,” said Tom. “Do you know who are booked for winners this year?”
“Booked!” repeated Joe. “There’s nobody booked. The best men will win, as they always have done.”
“Oh, no; I guess not. We don’t have any jockeying here, and if any member of the club should so far forget himself as to interfere with one of the contestants, he would never row another race on this lake.”
“I know some boys who are going to take their chances on it,” said Tom, quietly.
“On fouling the head man so that somebody else can win?” cried Joe.
Joe could hardly believe his ears, and neither could Loren and Ralph believe theirs. This, then, was what Tom meant when he cautioned them against being surprised at any thing he might say! They _were_ surprised—they couldn’t help it; and in order that Joe might not see their faces they fell behind, and allowed him and Tom to go on ahead.
“You know boys who are going to try to win by foul means!” repeated Joe. “I didn’t suppose that there was any one in the club who would be so mean. It is true that last year a certain canoeist persisted in keeping as close to me as he could, and drove the bow of his craft toward the stern of my own as often as he got the chance; but I thought it was accident, while some of my friends on shore declared that it was his intention to run into me, and claim the race because I got in his way. But, as luck would have it, I was able to paddle fast enough to keep out of his road. It seems to me that if I couldn’t win a prize fairly, I shouldn’t want to win it at all.”