entered heartily into the plot, impelled
both by his native love of fun and by a brotherly willingness to play an
innocent joke upon Dorry, who, with Josie Manning, he knew would surely
be among the most interested of all the victimized spectators.

A number of neat circulars, announcing the race and the names of the six
contestants, with their respective colors, were written by the boys, and
after being duly signed by Ed Tyler, as referee, were industriously
distributed among the girls and boys.

On the appointed afternoon, therefore, a merry crowd met at a deserted
old house on the lake-shore. It had a balcony overlooking the place
where the race was to begin and end.

This old building was the rendezvous of young Nestletown during boating
hours; indeed, it was commonly called "the boat-house." Having been put
up long years before the date of our story, it had fallen into a rather
dilapidated condition when the Nestletown young folk appropriated it;
but it had not suffered at their hands. On the contrary, it had been
carefully cleared of its rubbish; and with its old floors swept clean,
its broken windows flung open to air and sunlight, and its walls
decorated with bright-colored sun-bonnets and boating flags, it
presented quite a festive appearance when the company assembled in it on
the day of the race.

Fortunately, its ample piazza was strong, in spite of old age and the
fact that its weather-stained and paintless railing had for years been
nicked, carved, and autographed by the village youngsters. It was
blooming enough, on this sunny Saturday, with its freight of expectant
girls and boys, many of the first-named wearing the colors of their
favorites among the contestants.

The doughty six were in high spirits--every man of them having a
colored 'kerchief tied about his head, and sporting bare, sinewy arms
calculated to awe the beholder. Don was quite superb. So were Ben Buster
and young Outcalt. Many a girl was deeply impressed by their air of
gravity and anxiety, not suspecting that it was assumed for the
occasion, while the younger boys looked on in longing admiration. Ed, as
starter, umpire, judge, referee, and general superintendent, rowed out
with dignity, and anchored a little way from shore. The six, each in his
shining boat, rowed into line, taking their positions for the start. The
stake-boat was moored about a third of a mile up the lake, and the
course of the race was to be from the starting-lin