CHAPTER XXXII.

CONCLUSION.

A tub race was a decided novelty to all the members of our party except the young ladies, who had seen one in the preceding summer, but there were special reasons now why they were as interested as their friends in the contest which was to take place. There were tubs large and small, some new and some evidently having seen hard service, and the paddles were of various sizes and ages. There were at least fifteen of the contestants, and Bob's sturdy form could be easily distinguished, for he was the fourth from the end nearest our friends.

The report of the pistol rang out sharply, and in a moment the race was begun. The scene which followed was one that beggared description. The observant crowd of spectators shouted and cheered and laughed, and it almost seemed as if pandemonium itself reigned supreme. Meanwhile the contestants entered into the struggle with apparently all the zeal that had been manifested by their predecessors. The paddles were driven deep into the water and some of the men were making desperate efforts to outstrip their fellows. But the control of the awkward crafts was no simple matter. At times, for some unaccountable reason, the tubs would begin to turn and whirl, and, despite the efforts of the paddlers, would go in a direction apparently opposite to that which was desired. One poor fellow had already been thrown into the water, and as he was speedily drawn forth by his waiting friends, shouts of laughter seemed to be his only reward.

Bob was moving steadily with the current, and although several tubs were in advance of him, he did not appear to be troubled. He was not exerting himself as were most of the others, his foremost desire being to keep his tub from whirling and within the current.

Suddenly one of the tubs was seen to be headed directly toward Bob. The occupant struggled desperately to prevent a collision, but his efforts only served to increase his helplessness.

"Look out!" called Bob, sharply. "Keep off, or you'll hit me!"

The man endeavored to change his course, but his increased exertions only deprived him of what little control he still had, and in a moment the twisting, awkward craft came straight toward the alarmed Bob.

The lad was watchful, however, and as the tub came within reach he gave it a sudden push with his paddle and the peril was averted. The effect almost destroyed Bob's own balance, and for a moment it seemed as if he must be capsized, but as he righted himself he glanced at his rival, who was now in a sad state. He had raised his own paddle to return the thrust the anxious Bob had given him, but his zeal had not been wisely directed. The tub leaned dangerously to one side and as the boatman strove to right it, he threw himself too far to the other side, and after "wabbling" for an instant, it suddenly capsized and threw its occupant into the water. As he came to the surface he hastily swam to the upturned tub, and was soon rescued by the men who were skirting the racers for that very purpose.

Bob, however, had no time to waste upon his unfortunate competitor, and was carefully guiding his own treacherous craft. He could see that some of the desperate men about him were going sidewise or backward, and were striking out wildly with their paddles, striving to change the method as well as the direction of the procedure. Others were whirling and spinning about in a manner to make even an observer dizzy, to say nothing of the struggling paddler himself. Bob was not striving for speed, and was trusting much to the swiftness of the current to bear him on toward the coveted goal, and as he drew near the end, the wisdom of his course became apparent. Those who had been in advance of him were losing the advantage they had gained by some unfortunate stroke of their paddles, which sent their unwieldy tubs to whirling madly, and speed and control were soon both lost.

On and on moved the few tubs which still were in the race, bobbing up and down, and frequently stopping and whirling madly about as if some sudden and irresistible impulse had seized them. The confusion increased as the goal could be seen, and the first prize lay between Bob and two rivals.

Slowly and carefully Bob increased his stroke, and now only ten feet yet remained to be crossed. The three tubs were close together, and bunched for the final effort. Suddenly Bob drove his paddle far down into the water, and exerting all his strength, sent his tub forward with his final effort; but directly in front of him one of his rivals had drifted, and in a moment they struck together. The other contestant, to save himself, had instantly grasped Bob's tub and "wabbling," careening, threatening every moment to capsize, the two crossed the line together, and their mutual rival was a full yard behind them.

Instantly the whistles and shouts announced the end of the race, and Bob's rival turned good-naturedly to him and said,--

"I've got the first prize and you the second, though you wouldn't have had it if I hadn't towed you over the line."

"That's for the judges to decide," laughed Bob. "I think you fouled me and held me back with your hands, or I'd been first."

The boats now swarmed in, and, amidst the laughter of the people, it was decided that the first prize should be divided, for the two tubs had crossed the line after the manner in which the Siamese twins had moved through life, together.

"It's another case of 'united we stand, divided we fall,'" remarked Bob, as the decision was announced.

But there was no opportunity for further conversation, for Mr. Clarke's yacht now steamed close in, and Bob and his tub were received on board.

"A wise man of Gotham who went to sea in a bowl," said Miss Bessie, as Bob quietly took his seat. "I congratulate you."

"Thank you," replied Bob. "Did you say you had had your luncheon?"

"No, we've been waiting for the victor. We'll have it now."

As she departed to look after the various baskets, Jock said, "Bob, you're the greatest fellow I ever saw. You never seem to be working much, but yet you always come out all right. It's the same way with your studies. You don't work as hard as I do, but you always beat me. I don't understand it."

"Don't you believe that Bob doesn't work," interrupted Bert. "I know him better than you do. It's the thing he doesn't do that helps Bob, as much as what he does do. Now I watched him out there in the race. Most of the other fellows were striking out with their paddles in every direction, but Bob here just watched the current and let that do most of the work. It's the same way with his studies. Most of the fellows spend half their time in fussing around and getting ready, and then breaking in on their work after they've once begun. But you never saw Bob do that. He never makes a false move, or an unnecessary one, and when he starts, he just keeps at the necessary things and lets the others go. Bob does so well because he makes everything count."

"That's the secret of success, young man," said Mr. Clarke. "The reason why so many men fail in life is because they waste their time and strength in unnecessary things, and don't learn what not to do."

"I think our luncheon is ready now," said Miss Bessie, as she rejoined the group. "I had a basket of fruit I was going to give you," she added, speaking to Bob, "but I'm afraid it's spoiled."

"Never mind. To the victors belong the spoils," said Ben. "Give it to him just the same."

A groan followed Ben's pun, but the sight of the welcome baskets speedily banished all other thoughts, and for a time the scene on board the yacht was one in which all who were there certainly rejoiced. The perfect summer day, the sight of the many boats moving about over the river, the bright colors to be seen on every side, the animation and happiness of those on board the yacht, were sufficient to inspire all, and certainly the party in which we are particularly interested was not one that required much beyond the youth and health which were theirs to make them have an enjoyable time.

Their delight was increased when in the "finals" for the canoe races Ben was able to secure third prize. He himself was more than content with the award, for he had been compelled to enter the lists against some who had had the practice and experience of many summers, and he had had but one. His long arms, and, above all, his persistence in the face of all obstacles, had availed; and when our boys returned to camp they were highly delighted with the achievements of the day, as we may be well assured were the other members of the party.

On the way home Mr. Clarke had related the further story of the exploits of the "pirate," Bill Johnston, but it is doubtful whether any of the party retained a very clear recollection of the dark doings of the aforesaid Bill, and even Bob himself had only a dim impression that after various brilliant-hued deeds, in the so-called patriot war, he had been captured and taken to Albany, but had soon procured a release and returned to the Thousand Islands, where among his various occupations he had been keeper of one of the lighthouses to the day of his death.

Miss Bessie had not entered the canoe races, as her father had objected, but she had expressed her willingness to race with Ben whenever he felt disposed to enter into a contest with her. Whether it was her challenge or not, I cannot say, but in the days which followed there were many hours spent by our boys at "The Rocks," or in coursing over the river in Mr. Clarke's fleet yacht.

And what days they were! Every morning brought its own fresh experiences, and it was the regular thing for the boys to declare at night when they returned to the camp and prepared for bed, that _this_ was the best day yet.

But all things are said to have an end, and certainly the camp on Pine Tree Island proved to be no exception to the rule. The September days had come, and though the crowds about the river became decidedly thinned, our boys still remained, and Jock's mother was still at the hotel at Alexandria Bay. Only one week remained before the beginning of the fall term in college, and it was at last decided that on the morrow the camp should be broken.

It was with special pleasure the last evening in camp that Jock broached a subject to Ethan and Tom in which he had been deeply interested, and concerning which he had had much correspondence with his father, and that was the promise of a position for Tom in Mr. Cope's office in New York.

Ethan at first was inclined to demur, but at last gave his consent, inasmuch as the position promised to be one which eventually might yield even more than the marvellous "dollar and a half a day," to which he had made such frequent references during the summer.

The last visit to the Clarkes had been made, the last sail taken in Ethan's catboat, the last spin enjoyed in the canoes, and now the boys were seated together for the last time before the roaring camp-fire, which in honor of the occasion had been made even larger than usual. Far out over the river the flickering lights cast their shadows. The moaning in the tree tops was more pronounced, as was only fitting in a September evening and before the departure of the boys. The sound of the laughter in the camp was more subdued, and all seemed to feel the sadness of parting, even from such inanimate objects as the rushing river and the green-covered islands.

For a time the boys were silent, then Ben, who could not long refrain from talking, said, "It's been a great summer, Jock. I don't know how we'll ever repay you."

"You have done that already," replied Jock. "I'm glad you fellows have had a good time. I know I've enjoyed it."

"There's been only one drawback," suggested Ben.

"What's that?"

"That volume of C's in the Cyclopædia. Cartier, Champlain, Cavon, Cortereal, Chimney Island--"

"Oh, that's all right, too," replied Jock, laughing. "We've been on _The Trail of the Early Discoverers_, haven't we? Well, we ought to know something about them. We haven't had enough to spoil us."

"I trow not," interrupted Bob, solemnly.

"I say, fellows," said Jock, as a sudden thought seemed to strike him, "wouldn't it be a great thing to keep on with this! We've been on this trail this summer; now, why shouldn't we keep on and follow them into other places next summer?"

"A colossal idea," said Bert, "if it can be worked out."

"I'm going to fix that," said Jock, decidedly. "Come on now, fellows, it's time we were in bed. Let's fire off the cannon for the last time."

In a moment the roar of the cannon awoke the echoes, and then silence rested over the camp and the river.

* * * * *

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