The committee boat was a handsome sailing packet, and as she moved out to where the start was to be made she presented a fine picture. The _Vagabond_, together with fully half the craft in the harbor, followed at her heels. She took up her position close to the black spar buoy at the harbor entrance, and one by one the contestants chugged up to her and clamored for their ratings. As there had been delay in figuring the handicaps and time allowances, it was announced that the start would be postponed until half-past six. But the time didn’t drag. The entries for the race were all together for the first time, and the audience afloat and ashore examined them with interest and compared them, and predicted victory for first one and then another. The twelve boats varied in length from forty feet, the measurement of the _Sizz_ and the _Gnome_, down to thirty-one, which was the length of the _Shoonah_. But the greatest difference was in horse-power. The _Gnome_ and the _Amy_ were rated at thirty, while the little _Sue_ had but nine. As a result, the _Sue_ had a handicap allowance of about thirteen hours over the _Gnome_, which was scratch boat. One by one the boats got their directions, handicaps, and paid their measurement fees, and stood away to await the starting signal. “Let’s follow them a bit,” suggested Tom. “It would be great sport, wouldn’t it?” “Great!” cried Dan. “Let’s do it, Nel! What do you say?” “I’m game if you are,” was the answer. “You want to remember, though, Tommy, that we’ll be late to dinner.” “Oh, you run away and play! To hear you fellows talk, you’d think nobody ate anything but me. I’d just like to know who got away with the most of the lunch—and I’m not looking at Bob, either!” “‘Not you, kittie, nor me, kittie, but one of us,’” murmured Nelson. “What time will we get back?” asked Bob. “Depends on how far we go,” said Nelson. “We’d ought to get back before dark, I suppose.” “Oh, it doesn’t get dark until late,” said Dan cheerfully. “I tell you what we’ll do,” cried Tom. “I’ll cook something and we’ll have dinner on board! What do you say?” “Well, we’ve never eaten one of your dinners, Tommy,” answered Dan, “and so we may, I think, be excused if we say nothing; least said soonest mended, you know.” “Have we got anything to cook, Tommy?” asked Nelson doubtfully. “Eggs, bacon, beans, tomatoes, potatoes, jam, bread——” _Boom!_ “First gun!” cried Bob. “There’s a quarter of an hour yet, then,” said Dan. “Let’s get our lanterns lighted,” suggested Nelson. “We might as well do it now as later. The others are lighting theirs.”