of her bow. So low in the water had her powerful engines dragged her
that she seemed to be barely on the surface, and yet, as the boys knew,
she was actually "coasting" over the surface.

Try as he would, Rob could not get an ounce more speed out of the
Flying Fish, and as the speedy hydroplane roared by them they heard a
mocking shout from her crew.

Rob, more determined than ever to stick it out, sent the Flying Fish
plunging at top speed through the wash of the speedy craft, hoping to
keep up the distance between them at least equal. But as he saw the
hydroplane gradually drawing away and heard the great roar that went up
from the thrilled spectators as she shot by the club house, his heart
sank.

It looked as if the Plying Fish was beaten. And now the club house
loomed near once more.

"Go on, Plying Fish, go on!"

"You've got a time allowance on her!"

"Push along, Rob!"

"Kr-ee-ee-ee-ee!"

A tumult of other shouts roared in Rob's ears as they tore past the
crowded porch.

"Kr-ee-ee-ee-ee!" screamed back Merritt and Tubby, with waves of the
hand to the brown uniformed figures they could see perched on every
point of vantage.

Suddenly the Flying Fish began to creep up on the hydroplane, which had
slowed down for some reason.

"Hurrah! We've got'em now!" shouted Merritt, as he saw, far ahead,
Jack and the other two occupants of the seeming winner leaning over the
craft's engine, the hood having been raised.

Rob said nothing, but with burning eyes clung to the wheel and shot the
Flying Fish straight ahead on her course.

As they thundered past the hydroplane, the slender craft lay almost
motionless on the water, with a great cloud of blue smoke tumbling out
of her exhausts.

"Looks like they've flooded her cylinder," said Merritt, observing
these signs.

"Kr-ee-ee-ee-ee!"

It was Tubby giving utterance triumphantly to the Eagle scream.

Jack Curtiss straightened up angrily as he heard, his face black and
greasy from his researches into the engine. He shook a menacing fist
at the others as they tore by. The next minute, however, a quick look
back by Rob showed that the hydroplane was coming ahead again, and that
the engine trouble, whatever it was, had been adjusted.

As they neared the turning point, Rob saw, to his dismay, that the
hydroplane was creeping up faster and faster. It was the last lap, and
if Sam Redding's boat passed them at the stake the race was as good as
over.

"