rmined to win; and Mr. Lockwood and Mrs. Betsey
stood by and watched the play with amusement.

A veritable fleet of canoes, pair-oared and four-oared boats gathered at
Central High boat house, just before noon the next Saturday. It was a
bright and calm day and the lake looked most inviting.

The girls were in fine fettle, particularly. The subscription paper to
raise the sum necessary for the purchase of a new eight-oared shell had
gone about town briskly that week and Laura reported that already more
than half of the sum necessary had been promised. She had written to the
builders of such shells and they had replied that there was one in stock
that they would be glad to send the girls of Central High, on approval,
if the physical instructor agreed.

"And Mrs. Case is writing to them to-day," concluded Laura. "They will
send on the new boat and we can pay for it after the money is all in.
And, oh, girls! We'll win that race from the Keyport and other crews, if
such a thing is possible. After to-day the crew will be in training. We
must try out the boat, and work in her just as soon as she arrives, and
every other afternoon thereafter. So, you members of the crew make your
preparations accordingly."

"And for goodness sake, Bobby," urged Nellie Agnew, to the little "cox"
of the crew, "don't you go to cutting capers in school so that Gee Gee
can condition you. She's just waiting for a chance to fix it so you
cannot steer for us."

"Aw, pshaw!" said Clara Hargrew. "I don't do anything."

"No; but Gee Gee does something to you," declared Jess Morse, laughing.

"See that you don't give her a chance to stop your after-hour athletics
again, Bobby," begged Laura.

"All right; I'll be good," said Bobby, grinning.

"But after school--well, when long vacation comes this time I think I'll
have to set the old school house afire to celebrate!"

"No. You had trouble over fires before," advised Dorothy Lockwood.

"That's so," agreed Dora.

"Don't mention fire again!" exclaimed Jess. "That's why we lost the race
before--because you could not steer for us, Bobby."

Laura and Lance Darby took Eve and Otto Sitz with them in Lance's nice
boat. There were two pairs of sculls and Otto managed to row very well
in the bow. Of course Chet took Jess in his boat, and the remainder
paired off as fancy beckoned. But the twins paddled their cedar canoe.

And few of the fleet of small craft were propelled to the island in
better shape