for
me--won't you? It would be a great favor, and I shall never forget it."

"Why do you want her to go with you?" demanded Donald, rather
petulantly. "A yacht in a race is no place for ladies. I can find some
fellows on board here who will be glad to go with you."

"But I want her to go with me. The fact of it is, Don John, I rather
like Nellie, and I want to be better acquainted with her."

"If you do, you must paddle your own canoe," replied Donald,
indignantly, as he ascended the steps, and joined the other two judges
on deck.

"We are waiting for you, Don John," said Sam Rodman, who was one of
them.

"It isn't ten yet, and I have the papers all ready. Who is to be
time-keeper?" asked the chairman.

"I have a watch with a second hand, and I will take that office," said
Frank Norwood, who was the third.

Most of the yachts were already in line, and the captain of the fleet,
in the tender of his yacht, was arranging them, the largest to
windward. The first gun had been fired at half past nine which was the
signal to get into line, and at the next, the yachts were to get under
way. All sail except the jib was set, and at the signal each craft was
to slip her cable, hoist her jib, if she had one, and get under way, as
quickly as possible. The "rode" was simply to be cast off, for the end
of it was made fast to the tender, which was used as a buoy for the
anchor.

"Are they all ready?" asked Donald, as the time drew near.

"All but the Juno. Laud has picked up two live weights, and wants
another man," replied Sam Rodman.

"We won't wait for him."

But Laud got into line in season. One of the seamen of the Penobscot
stood at the lock-string of the gun forward, ready to fire when the
chairman of the judges gave the word.

"Have your watch ready, Frank," said Donald.

"All ready," answered Norwood.

"Fire!" shouted Donald.

Some of the ladies "squealed" when the gun went off, but all eyes were
immediately directed to the yachts. The Christabel, with a reef in her
fore and main sails, was next to the Penobscot; then came the Skylark,
the Sea Foam, and the Phantom. Before the gun was fired, the captain had
stationed a hand in each yacht at the cable, and others at the
jib-halyards and down-hauls. The instant the gun was discharged, the
jibs were run up, and the "rodes" thrown overboard. Some of the yachts,
however, were unfortunate, and did not obtain a good start. In one the
jib down-haul fouled, and ano