ne course
up-river. You remember we rushed it with Buck's crowd. And I understand
that it will like as not be made the official course when the great
boat race is pulled off."

"That's true, Corney," Fred continued; "but there are several reasons
why Brad has picked out the other side of the town for all our trial
spins. First of all, you know the big, broad channel the Mohunk has for
three miles between here and Paulding?"

"Sure I do; and a splendid place to make good speed, too," the other
admitted.

"Then, again, if we kept going up the river we'd be apt to interfere
with the practice of the Mechanicsburg fellows, who have no other
course but that one between the two towns."

"And they'd be more apt to get a line on what sort of time we were
making; isn't that so, Fred?"

"Just what I was going to add, Corney. Now you know about all the
reasons Brad has for going down the river to-day, and other days as
well."

"And is it true that he's got a three mile course all marked off?"
asked Corney.

"Brad says he was down there with Colon on their wheels this morning,"
Fred went on to say. "They carried a long tape line, and as the road
runs close to the bank of the river, they marked every eighth of a
mile."

"How did they do it?" questioned the other. "You see I want to be
posted, so I can get a pointer on our speed if I happen to look along
the bank while we're making a spurt."

"That's the time you'd better keep your eyes glued on the coxswain, and
the stroke oar, and not bother trying to find out for yourself what the
speed is. Brad will look out for all that, Corney."

"But if you know, you're going to tell me, I hope?" pursued the
tireless one.

"Oh!" Fred replied, with a laugh, "if you really want to know, I
understand that every eighth of a mile is marked with a single small
white rag; each quarter has a blue one; while the mile shows a plain
red one. I hope some meddlesome fellow doesn't go to changing the
signals on Brad, and make him think he's doing a record stunt. But I
believe he's got some other secret sign of his own to depend on besides
the flags."

He managed to break away just then; and as Corney saw that it was a
very pretty girl who had beckoned Fred over, he made no attempt to
question him further. In fact, Fred would have firmly declined to stay,
because it was Flo Temple who had signalled.

Flo was the prettiest girl in all Riverport. She and Fred had long been
the best of friend