The Go Ahead Boys in the Island Camp Part 29

"That's right, Pop," exclaimed Grant, "it does count in quoits, but I don't know of any other."

"We'd better attend to our sailing," warned Fred. "Trim that sheet in a little, String."

"That enough?"

"All right," said Fred. "My, I hope this breeze holds."

"It's getting stronger, I think," said George.

"It does seem to be," agreed Grant. "It's dead ahead of us now, but if it doesn't change, it'll be right behind us on the last leg of the race.

I think it's always fun to be able to finish straight before the wind."

"That's true," exclaimed John. "We go in the opposite direction the second round, don't we?"

The Balsam was skimming over the water rapidly on a long tack to leeward. Behind her came the Spruce, also making good time and with about the same distance between the two boats that had separated them at the start.

"They're pointing up a little more than we are, I think," remarked Grant, after a glance at their rival.

"We're all right, though," said Fred confidently. "I don't believe in sailing as close hauled as that."

"Perhaps not," agreed Grant. "At any rate you know more about it than the rest of us. We'll have to do as you say whether we like it or not."

They rounded the first stake thirty yards ahead of the Spruce. Fred's tactics on the first leg had proved successful, anyway.

"It's easy," exclaimed George confidently, as they slid past the stake and settled back for the long reach to the next mark.

"Don't talk like that, Pop," urged John earnestly. "Don't ever boast or get overconfident; you're sure to regret it if you do."

"Knock on wood, Pop," laughed Fred. "That'll take away all the bad effects."

The four friends were in excellent spirits, for they enjoyed a comfortable lead which seemed to be steadily increasing.

"There they come around the stake now," exclaimed Grant, gazing behind them. "They gave it a little more room than we did."

"And consequently sailed a little bit farther than necessary," added Fred. "A few feet doesn't seem very much at the time but in the long run it amounts to a good deal."

"On the other hand," said John, "if you cut too close to the stake you're apt to foul it and then you're disqualified."

"The answer to that is easy enough," laughed Fred. "Don't hit it."

"You fellows take more chances than I would," said John doubtfully. "I believe in playing safe."

Steadily the Balsam drew away from her rival. The wind was strong now and the lake was dotted with white-caps.

"Perhaps the Balsam is a rough-water sailor," remarked Grant. "At any rate she seems to be doing splendidly in this breeze."

"If the breeze should die down they'd probably catch right up to us,"

said Fred. "Let's hope it doesn't."

"What makes you think they'd catch us?" demanded John.

"Nothing. Some boats sail better in one kind of a breeze than in others.

This seems to be suited to a strong wind and I thought it was possible that the Spruce would do better in a light one."

"But they're exactly alike," objected John.

"I know it," replied Fred. "That doesn't necessarily mean they'll sail just alike, though. I've seen ten boats all built on the same model, the same size, and everything about them the same, and yet some of them seem to be twice as fast as others."

"It must be in the one who handles the boat, then," said George.

"Not at all. I've seen them swap crews and the same boats win."

"How do you explain it?" inquired Grant, who always liked to have a reason for everything.

"I can't, and I don't believe any one else can, either. Some boats seem to do well under certain conditions, and that's all there is to it."

"Well, the present conditions seem to suit the Balsam pretty well,"

exclaimed George. "Let's hope they continue."

The second stake was reached with the Balsam still farther in the lead than before. The wind steadily increased in strength and forced the st.u.r.dy little catboat through the water at an amazing speed.

"I didn't know she could go so fast," exclaimed John enthusiastically.

"None of us did, I guess," said Grant. "She's all right though, isn't she?"

"I should say so," cried George. "Say, just look at her go," and he scrambled over to the other side of the boat. The Balsam was heeled far over and the lee rail was awash. Now and then a wave, a little larger than its fellows, slapped l.u.s.tily against the side and covered the crew with spray.

"We'll have to reef her if this wind gets much stronger," said Fred just before they had completed the first round.

"What's the use?" demanded George. "It's great this way, and we're certainly gaining on those fellows all the time."

"Yes," said Fred, "but you don't want to lose the mast, do you?"

"Or we might upset," added Grant.

"Suppose we do," cried George. "It won't hurt us."

"But we'd lose the race just the same," said Fred. "Let that sheet out a little there, String. Whenever she heels over like that, give her a little more rope and I'll bring her up into the wind for a second."

"That makes us lose time, doesn't it?" asked Grant.

"I think so. It seems to me that if we stopped and put a reef in the sail we'd sail more evenly and as a result we'd go faster."

"Those fellows in the Spruce don't seem to be putting in any reefs, I notice," remarked George. "If they don't need them I don't see why we do."

"But the breeze is getting so much stronger," insisted Fred. "It really seems to me that we should put in one reef anyway."

"How long will it take us?"