The Go Ahead Boys and the Racing Motorboat | Page 6

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 feet and tried to wipe up the grease as I went along. "
"And didn't that work?"
"Nay, verily it didn't work. I took my seat that time on the pole and then when I slipped, I tried to throw my arms around it. But for some good reason I didn't delay very long, before I dropped with a splash into the St. Lawrence."
"I hope they will have those things this summer," spoke up John.
"You would be a good one to walk on a greased pole," said George soberly. "You wouldn't take much space and if you could once get a footing you could reach forward almost to the end and grab the cup."
"If I did," retorted John, "you can rest easy that I wouldn't let go of it."
"How soon do we come to West Point?" inquired Grant.
"In about an hour," answered Fred.
"Do you know, I sometimes think I should like to go there," said