"If I do, I'll put in another," replied Donald. "But you can't snap that stick. The Skylark's mast will go by the board first, and then it will be time enough to look out for ours."

"You have beaten her, Don John," added Ned.

"Not yet. 'There's many a slip between the cup and the lip.'"

"But you are a quarter of a mile ahead of her, at least. It's blowing a gale, and we can't carry all this sail much longer."

"She can carry it as long as the Skylark. When she reefs, we will do the same. I want to show you what the Sea Foam's made of. She is as stiff as a line-of-battle ship."

"But look over to windward, Don John," exclaimed Ned, with evident alarm. "Isn't that a squall?"

"No; I think not. It's only a shower of rain," replied Donald. "There may be a puff of wind in it. If there is, I can touch her up."

"The Skylark has come up into the wind, and dropped her peak," added Norman, considerably excited.

But Donald kept on. In a moment more a heavy shower of rain deluged the deck of the Sea Foam. With it came a smart puff of wind, and the skipper "touched her up;" but it was over in a moment, and the yacht sped on her way towards the goal. Half an hour later she pa.s.sed the Pen.o.bscot, and a gun from her saluted the victor in the exciting race. About four minutes later came the Skylark, which had lost half this time in the squall.

CHAPTER X.

THE LAUNCH OF THE MAUD.

The heavy rain had driven nearly all the people on board of the Pen.o.bscot below, but the judges, clothed in rubber coats, kept the deck, in readiness to take the time of the rival yachts. After the squall, the weather was so thick that both of them were hidden from view. The craft not in the race had anch.o.r.ed near the Pen.o.bscot, and on board of all the yachts the interest in the result was most intense.

"I'm afraid it will be no race," said Sam Rodman, who was now the chairman of the judges.

"The commodore will put the Skylark through, whatever the weather,"

replied Frank Norwood.

"Don John will keep the Sea Foam flying as long as Bob runs the Skylark, you may depend."

"It was quite a little squall that swept across the bay just now," added Rodman. "I hope no accident has happened to them."

"I'll risk the accidents. I would give a dollar to know which one was ahead."

"Not much doubt on that point."

"I think there is. Don John generally knows what he is about. He don't very often say what he can do, but when he does, he means it."

"The commodore is too much for him."

"Perhaps he is, but I have hopes of the Sea Foam. Don John is building the Maud for me, and I have some interest in this race. I don't want a yacht that is to be beaten by everything in the fleet. If the Skylark is too much for the Sea Foam, the chance of the Maud won't be much better."

The judges discussed the merits of the two yachts for half an hour longer, and there was as much difference of opinion among them as among the rest of the spectators of the race.

"There's one of them!" shouted Frank Norwood, as the Sea Foam emerged from the cloud of mist which accompanied the rain.

"Which is it?" demanded Rodman.

"I can't make her out," replied Norwood, for the yacht was over a mile distant.

"But where is the other? One of them is getting badly beaten," added Rodman.

"That must be the Skylark we see."

"I don't believe it is. It is so thick we can't make her out, but her sails look very white. I think it is the Sea Foam."

"There's the other!" exclaimed Norwood, as the Skylark was dimly perceived in the distance.

"She is half a mile astern. It is a bad beat for one of them."

"That's so; and if it is the Sea Foam, I shall want to throw up the contract for the Maud," said Rodman.

"There is one thing about it; both of those craft are good sea boats, and if they can carry whole jib and mainsail in this blow, they are just the right kind of yachts for me. I like an able boat, even if she don't win any prizes. Give me a stiff boat before a fast one."

"I should like to have mine both stiff and fast."

"Look at the Christabel. She went round the course with a reef in the fore and main sails, and was beaten at that," added Norwood. "Here comes the head boat. It is the Skylark, as sure as you live."

"Not much, Frank. Do you see her figure-head? Is it a bird?" demanded Rodman, triumphantly.

"It isn't; that's a fact."

"That's the Sea Foam fast enough."

This was exciting news, and Sam Rodman walked rapidly to the companion-way of the Pen.o.bscot.

"Yachts in sight!" shouted he to the people below.

"Which is ahead?" asked Mr. Montague.

"The Sea Foam," replied Rodman.

"I'm so glad!" exclaimed Miss Nellie Patterdale.

Mr. Montague and Captain Patterdale only laughed, but they were sufficiently interested to go on deck in spite of the pouring rain, and they were followed by many others.

"Time!" shouted Sam Rodman, as the gun was fired.

"Four, thirty-two, ten," added Frank Norwood; and the figures were entered upon the schedule.

The Sea Foam pa.s.sed the judges' yacht, came about, and went under her stern.

"The Sea Foam," shouted Donald.

Though the spectators were not all satisfied with the result, they gave three cheers to the victorious yacht, magnanimously led off by Mr.