The Go Ahead Boys and the Racing Motorboat | Page 6

you mind, fellows," spoke up Fred. "This boat suits me all right.
You wait until you see that cup the Black Growler is going to win."
"I hope we shan't have to wait too long," said John dryly.
"You'll wait until the race comes off," declared Fred. "I'm not taking
any cups before I win them, but when the time comes you wait and see
me run away from any boat that tries to keep up with us. I have been on
the St. Lawrence before and unless there is something a good deal
better than I have ever seen there, we shall simply show our heels to
any motor-boats on the river. And they say there are more motor-boats
between Clayton and Ogdensburg than anywhere else in America."
"How many?" inquired John.
"I have been told that there are more than a thousand."
"Well," said George, "I'm deeply impressed by the modesty of Peewee.
He simply thinks this boat will outclass nine hundred and ninety-nine
others that will be madly chasing him all summer long, trying to keep
pace with him."
"But he hasn't won the cup yet," said Grant quietly.
"That's right. That's right," spoke up Fred, pretending to be annoyed by
the bantering of his friends. "There are always some people that try to
take the joy out of life. I heard of an old man the other day who was so
disgruntled that when he met a friend on the street who saluted him
with a hearty 'good morning' this old man looked all over the sky to
make sure he couldn't find a cloud somewhere and say that it wasn't a
'good' morning."
"What did he do if he didn't find any?" laughed George.
"Why he put his hand on his stomach as if he had a pain and shook his
head and closed his eyes and groaned out, 'Yes, it's a fine day, but I am
sure it is a weather-breeder. We'll have rain to-morrow.' "

"Do you know there are a lot of people like that?" said George. "I met
an old woman up near our farm one summer who always said when
anybody asked her how she was that she 'enjoyed' poor health. And I
guess she did. I never knew any one who took such pride in her aches
and pains as she did. One day when the doctor had been to see her she
had told him all the pains she suffered and the poor old doctor had to sit
there and listen to her for almost an hour. Finally, when he left she
started out of the house after him calling to him to come back because
she had just thought of another ache that she hadn't told him about."
The boys laughed and silence for a time rested upon the little boat. The
Black Growler was moving swiftly and still was attracting attention
from every boat she met. Following the channel they kept well out in
the river, but the towering hills and the attractive shores were all within
sight and manifestly did much to impress the Go Ahead boys.
"Tell me, Fred," spoke up John at last. "Do they have these races on the
St. Lawrence every summer?"
"They have had for the past few years and they have had water sports
too."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, they have swimming, tilting contests, canoe races, diving and I
don't know what all."
"Did you ever go in any of them?" inquired John.
A solemn expression came over Fred's face as he said, "Yes, once."
"What did you go into?"
"I tried to walk the greased pole. There was a silver cup on the end of it
and the fellow who could walk out and take it could claim it."
"Did you get the cup?"
"I did not," replied Fred shortly.

"I'm surprised, Peewee. I don't know a fellow in all my acquaintance
that I think could walk better on a greased pole than you."
"Huh," muttered Fred. "You ought to have seen me. That pole was a
part of a telegraph pole. It stuck out from the dock about fifteen feet. It
was covered with grease and the grease had been rubbed in."
"How many times were you allowed to try?" asked George.
"Five."
"And you couldn't go in five trials?"
"I didn't go. The first time I stepped on the pole my feet flew out from
under me and I sat down on the river about six or seven feet below. I
sat down hard too."
"Did you enjoy it?" laughed John.
"I did not," replied Fred slowly, "but the people on the docks and along
the banks seemed to have a fine time."
"What did you do next?" laughed George.
"I tied some old sacking on my