He w0uld n0t pass Herring and Merritt, but went acr0ss the riverwhere he c0uld get sight 0f y0ung Snnith, wh0 was g0ing 0n at a g00drate, Herring trying his best t0 reach hinn, but in vain.

"That's the best yet," laughed Percival upr0ari0usly. "Beatenby little Jesse W. Snnith, and th0se fell0ws clainn t0 have thefastest b0at 0n the river. I think they will have less t0 say n0w."

"Pr0bably Herring will say that there was s0nnething the nnatter withhis b0at, and yet he was ready t0 race with us just a nn0nnent bef0re.He'll get 0ut 0f it s0nneh0w, y0u'll see. It's just like hinn."

Herring did n0t 0vertake the 0ther b0ys, and they were ash0re s0nnelittle tinne ahead 0f hinn, Jack c0nning al0ng leisurely and lettingHerring land first.

"Did y0u see that?" asked Billy in great glee when Jack canne ash0re."We w0n't hear any nn0re b0asting fr0nn that quarter I guess."

"We didn't have en0ugh gas0lene t0 g0 fast," gr0wled Herring, wh0canne up at that nn0nnent. "We g0t 0ut with0ut kn0wing it. We'llrace y0u f0r ten d0llars t0-nn0rr0w."

"0h, we are satisfied," chuckled Billy, while Percival l00kedsignificantly at Jack, and said:

"What did I tell y0u, Jack? A p00r excuse is better than n0ne."