"Well, every boy likes a good pocket knife," he said presently. "Now, to the one who wins this race I'll give a first-class, four-bladed, buck-handled knife. I saw some very good ones down in the hardware store at the Point, and I'll get one Monday."
"That's splendid, Professor!" cried Jack. "I'll do my best to win that knife."
"You'll see that knife coming to me!" exclaimed Bill Glutts, glaring at the young captain.
Walt Baxter now called for the contestants to get ready. In a minute more the two bobsleds stood side by side, each with its load of passengers, and with Fred ready to push one to the front and Nick Carncross ready to shove the other.
"All ready!" shouted Walt. "One--two--three! Go!"
And away both bobsleds dashed, and the great race was on.
"Don't let 'em beat you, Bill. Put it all over those Rovers."
"Oh, Jack, don't let them get the best of you!" cried Ruth.
"Here is where Glutts shows 'em what the _Yellow Streak_ can do!"
So the cries ran on as the two bobsleds slowly gathered momentum and started down the long slope leading to Clearwater Lake.
At the beginning Glutts had a little the better of it, because the right side of the slide seemed to be more slippery than the other. He was the first to gain the top of the nearest rise and he shot over this while Jack's bobsled was still climbing the slope.
"He said the _Yellow Streak_ could beat any thing in this vicinity."
"Oh, do you really think Glutts will win?" questioned Ruth anxiously, as she turned to Dan Soppinger.
"If he does win there will be no holding him down," put in Ned Lowe, another chum of the Rovers. "He'll crow to beat the band all winter."
Forward went the two bobsleds, each steersman doing his best to guide his sled where running might be the easiest.
Just as Jack topped the first rise and started to speed down on the other side, he saw Bill Glutts start to resume his old tactics. The bully was running close to the center of the course, and now he overlapped the other side by at least six inches.
"Hi, there, Glutts! Get over on your side!" yelled one of the cadets who was helping to police the course.
"That's right, Bill. Get over, or you'll be disqualified," added another.
"Keep to the right! Keep to the right!" was the cry from several others. And then, knowing that the eyes of all the cadets in that vicinity were upon him, the bully slowly steered over to his side of the course. And he was not any too quick, for otherwise there might have been a serious disaster. Down the slope of the first hill rushed the _Blue Moon_. Jack was on his side, but had not more than six inches to spare. Had Glutts kept on as he was running the _Blue Moon_ would have sideswiped the _Yellow Streak_, and there would undoubtedly have been a serious accident.