pressed on, every rower apparently outdoing himself, if
not outdoing everything else. If cheers and shouts had inspired them
before, the intense silence now was even more inspiring. Could anything
have succeeded better? With every show of exertion, the rascals managed
to slacken or quicken as the case required, until, when nearly home,
they were all close together.

[Illustration: THE CONSPIRATORS' PLOT IS CARRIED INTO EFFECT.]

It was glorious! They never had known such fun in their lives. Now for
the grand business!

Donald and Outcalt came together with a crash--a perfect "foul!" One
masterly effort--over went Don's boat and over went Don, headlong into
the water!

The boys in the other boats did beautifully, crowding about and, in
spite of Don's wild struggles, catching him with oars and arms, never
hearing the screams of the girls in the suppressed mirth and wild
activity of the moment, but getting Don into his boat again, limp and
dripping; and finally, with real dramatic zeal, carrying out their
entire plan--too busy and delighted with success to note its effect upon
the crowd of spectators. Everything worked to perfection. Don, scorning
his half-drowned state, dripping and uncomfortable as he was, had sprung
suddenly to his oars, and in dead earnest had won the race, against
every mock-earnest competitor, and--

What _do_ you think?

When those six oarsmen, including the victor, looked up to receive the
acclamations of the crowd, white with the waving of pocket-handkerchiefs,
they heard only--silence; saw nothing but an empty piazza. Not a
spectator was to be seen--not even a face at a window--not a single eye
peering through a crack. Worse than all, their judge and referee was in
the bottom of his boat, kicking with merriment. He had strength only to
point to the boat-house and gasp, between his bursts of laughter:

"Not a soul there!--they found us out!--went off before Don's ducking!"

The boat-house was, in truth, deserted. After the mysterious movements
and whisperings of Dorry and Josie, every boy and girl had sped away on
tiptoe; and down in a hollow grove near the road, where they could not
even see the water, they were chatting and giggling and having the very
best kind of a time--all because they had turned the tables on the
gallant seven.

It was now well understood by these spectators who had deserted their
post, that a second mock race had been carried on without a single
eye-witness, an