The Putnam Hall Cadets: or, Good Times in School and Out

“Neither do I,” put in Flossie. She was recovering rapidly. “It was the boom struck us, wasn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“Let us get out of the crowd,” whispered Jack. “The girls are all right now.”

“Just as you say,” answered Andy. And they rowed away as rapidly as they had come up.

“Hi! hi!” called out Rossmore Ford. “Wait! I want to thank you for what you have done.”

“Oh, that’s all right, sir,” called back Jack.

“Come back, won’t you?” pleaded the rich man.

“We’ll have to go back,” said Andy, and once more the rowboat was turned around, and presently they boarded the yacht and tied the small craft behind.

“Are those young ladies safe?” asked the judge of the race, from the steam tug.

“They are,” answered Rossmore Ford.

“Good,” and the tug soon after that moved away, and so did the majority of the other boats.

“I owe you young gentlemen a good deal for saving my daughters,” said Rossmore Ford.

“I shall never forget what you did,” put in Laura, with a bright glance at Jack.

“You saved us from death,” came from Flossie, and gave Andy a grateful look.

“Your boom came around pretty lively,” said the young major.

“Yes. The – er – fact is, I don’t know as much about sailing a boat as I’d like to,” answered the owner of the yacht. “I’ll have to be more careful in the future.”

He asked the cadets their names, and then introduced himself and his daughters, and all shook hands.

“Pa, we’ll have to go home and put on some dry clothing,” said Laura.

“Gracious me, I never thought of that!” exclaimed the fond parent. “To be sure – we’ll go back at once. Do you wish to go along, young gentlemen?”

“I guess we had better stay behind and see the race,” answered Jack, after a questioning look at his companions.

“Yes, I presume you are greatly interested. I was interested myself.”

“I hope your school wins,” came from Laura.

“So do I,” added her sister.

“You must give us a call some time,” went on Rossmore Ford. “Our home is up the lake – Point View Lodge we call it. We shall be glad to see you any time.”

“Thank you, perhaps we’ll come up,” said Andy, and the others said practically the same. Then the cadets jumped into their rowboat once more and the yacht went on its way.

“They are certainly nice people,” was Pepper’s comment. “You two fellows are regular heroes for saving the maidens fair.”

“Pooh! As if you didn’t have as much to do with it as anybody!” cried Jack.

“I didn’t leap into the briny deep, as the novelists say.”

“Briny deep is good,” laughed Andy. “Why, the water isn’t over twelve feet deep around here.”

“It’s deep enough to drown in. If you don’t believe it, stand on the bottom and find out.” And then there was a general laugh.

The race between the cadets of Putnam Hall and the boys from Pornell Academy was now about to start. Crack! went the pistol and down into the clear waters of Cayuga Lake went the oars.

“They are off!”

“And Putnam Hall leads!” came the cry half a minute later.

It was true, almost from the start Putnam Hall led by half a length. The oarsmanship of the crew was perfect, and the lead was held for the first half of the race.

“Oh, if only they can keep it up!” cried Pepper.

“Go it, boys, go it!” yelled Jack. “You’ve got to win!”

“Show ’em what Putnam Hall can do!” cried Andy.

On and on flew the two boats. Putnam Hall was still ahead, but only a few inches.

“We’re going to lose the lead!” cried Harry Blossom. “Too bad!”

“Are we?” came from Dave Kearney. “Not much! How is that for a spurt?”

As he spoke the captain of the Putnam Hall crew spoke to his fellows, and in a twinkling the time of the stroke was increased. Straight to the front leaped the boat, until the stern was even with the bow of the rival’s craft.

“They are going ahead!”

“Hurrah for Putnam Hall!”

“Pull, Pornell, pull! You’ve got to win!”

So the cries ran on and the crew of the Pornell boat did their best to increase their stroke. But they could not overtake Putnam Hall and when the line was crossed the latter was the winner by two lengths and a half.

A wild din went up. Horns tooted, rattles clacked loudly, and cheer after cheer rent the air.

“That’s the way to beat ’em!”

“Pornell wasn’t in it from start to finish!”

“Better go home and learn to row!”

The rivals felt sheepish enough, and without loss of time they rowed ashore and the members of the crew disappeared, followed by those who had come from Pornell Academy to see them win.