The Go Ahead Boys in the Island Camp Part 22

"What sort of games are we going to have?" asked John.

"We thought a sailing race would be fun," said Hugh.

"Yes, and so would swimming and canoe races," exclaimed Grant. "Do you think three events will be enough?"

"How about a tilting contest?" said Thomas.

"What's a tilting contest?" asked Fred curiously.

"Didn't you ever hear of that?"

"Never that I know of."

"Why, it's like this," explained Thomas. "Two fellows get into a canoe; the one in the stern paddles and steers and the fellow in the bow has a great long pole with one end of it all wrapped up with rags or something like that. Another canoe fixed up the same way opposes them and the two attack each other. The fellows with the poles jab at each other and try to upset the other canoe or knock the bow man overboard; if he falls overboard or the canoe upsets of course they lose the match."

"That sounds fine," exclaimed George. "I say we include a tilting match by all means."

"Two from our camp will take on two from yours," suggested Thomas.

"All right," agreed Grant. "We'll enter our star team."

"Entries will close one second before the match starts," laughed Franklin Dunbar, a fat, round-faced boy, who had spoken but little thus far.

"And probably our team will be upset and in the water one second after the match starts," laughed George.

"It'll be fun anyway," said Thomas. "When shall we have the games?"

"We were wondering about that too," said Grant. "I guess almost any time will suit us though."

"We'll need some practice," remarked Fred. "Don't forget that."

"Not much," said Grant. "I say not to practice too much. We don't want to make professional games out of them, you know."

"That's all right, too," objected Fred. "At the same time we want to make them worth while and the better we all are the more fun they will be too. Don't you think so?" and he appealed to the four young visitors for their opinion.

"I agree with you," said Thomas readily. "Our camp wants to beat yours too, and if you fellows don't take it seriously why there won't be much honor in it for us if we do win."

"There'd be plenty of disgrace if we lost under those conditions though," laughed Franklin Dunbar.

"We don't know anything about tilting either, Grant," said George. "We will need a lot of practice for that event."

"All right," agreed Grant. "I guess we do need practice. As far as I'm concerned, anything you fellows say suits me. How about a judge though?

Suppose we should have a close finish in one of the races, who would we have to decide it for us?"

"My uncle is coming to spend a week with us in camp," said Hugh McNeale.

"He might act as judge if we wanted him."

"That would be fine," exclaimed Grant. "When is he coming?"

"Not till week after next."

"That's all right," said Fred. "That would be just about right."

"Suppose we set two weeks from Wednesday then," suggested Thomas. "That ought to give us plenty of time to get in shape."

"All right," agreed Grant. "We ought to have some sort of name for our teams too. Have you any name for your camp?"

"No, we haven't."

"Neither have we. Suppose you call yourselves the red team and we'll be the blue."

"Fine," exclaimed Hugh. "I'll write a letter to Uncle Jack and tell him what he has ahead of him. I'll tell him that he really is to be the umpire and that he'll get the same treatment an umpire does if he doesn't do his job well."

The remaining details were speedily arranged and then the four boys of the red team sailed back to their camp, leaving the boys on the island full of excitement and pleasure at the thought of the games ahead of them.

CHAPTER XV-PREPARATION

The days intervening until the time came for the games were busy ones for the boys in the island camp. The Balsam was thoroughly overhauled, and everything removed from her that might tend in any way to r.e.t.a.r.d her speed. Frequent cruises were made and every boy was a.s.signed to some special duty on the boat so that when the race was held there would be no confusion. None of the young campers had any desire to lose the race through inefficiency.

Long swims were indulged in to improve their wind and strengthen their muscles. Canoe races were held and different combinations tried to enable them to select the strongest team. A course a half-mile long was marked out and time-trials held in an effort to decide upon the fastest pair. All four boys were to be in the race but it had been decided that the best policy was to put the best two paddlers in the same canoe. By following this plan it was thought that their chances for winning would be greatly improved. First place was to count two and second one in the sailing and canoe races and in the tilting match. In the swimming race three places were to count, the points to be scored being three for first, two for second and one for third. The team scoring the greatest number of points was to be declared the winner.

Practice for the tilting match occupied very much of the boys' time. Two long poles had been cut and one end of each was wound with old rags and blankets, thus forming a large soft k.n.o.b.

"If we'd only saved those clothes that we had on when the skunks got after us," remarked George, "we could have won a tilting contest from anybody."

"What do you mean by that!" inquired Grant curiously.

"Simply this. Instead of using rags to wind the poles with we could have used those clothes."

"What advantage would that have been?"

"Don't you see?" demanded George. "All we'd have to do would be to point the pole at our opponent. We wouldn't have to touch him at all; as soon as he got a whiff of that awful odor he'd simply faint and fall overboard and we'd be the winners."

"A great idea, Pop," laughed John. "Why didn't you think of it at the time?"

"In the first place I didn't know anything about this tilting match at the time; in the second place, even if I had, I don't believe I'd have kept them. Whew, they were awful!" and George shuddered at the recollection.

"They certainly were," agreed Fred. "Don't talk to me about it; my clothes were all in the same condition as yours."

The same system that was adopted for selecting a team for the canoe race was used for the tilting match. Every possible combination of the four young campers was tried in an effort to find the strongest compet.i.tors.

Grant and John had been selected for the canoe race, and Grant and George were decided upon for the tilting contest.

It had been taken for granted that Grant would be on both teams; he outshone his companions in every form of game and sport just as he did in his knowledge of books. He and George were heavier than the other two boys and consequently made a more powerful team for the tilting match.

Weight would be an a.s.set in that sport, for it is much easier to knock down a light man than it is a heavy one; especially when a tricky and shaky canoe is under your feet.