But Bart Hodge was watching for that trick, and he had reserved a certain amount of strength for the critical moment. Now he seemed to cause his canoe to leap forward, and its sharp prow struck the side of the one Welch occupied, smashing it like an eggshell. A second later Jim Welch was in the water, and Merriwell sped on to victory, a sure winner at the last moment! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER XXIV AFTER THE RACE. There was a faint cheer from the shore. Merriwell had won the race, and the man from Greenville was second. Welch had received a merited ducking, but was rescued from the water without much trouble. Welch was furious. Over and over he declared he would have won the race had not Hodge fouled him, but the judges decided it was his own fault, as he was seen to deliberately get in Bart’s way. This silenced him, but he looked sullen and revengeful, and continued to mutter to himself. The canoe occupied by Hodge had not been injured by the collision, and Bart slowly paddled toward shore at Merriwell’s side when the race was over. “Well, what do you think about it now?” he asked. “I think I had the pull of my life to win,” admitted Frank. “I came near waiting too long before getting down to business.” “Oh! I felt that one of us stood a good show to win,” said Bart; “but that was not what I meant.” “Eh? Then what did you mean?” “What do you think about Mr. Jim Welch?” “I think he tried to foul me.” “Sure.” “And you prevented it, although I don’t know how you did it, for you were on the other side of him a few moments before. I was paying attention strictly to business, and supposed I was passing with Welch between us. How did you get in there?” “I will tell you,” said Hodge, in a low tone. “I saw you were coming up at wonderful speed, for I took the chance of looking round. I realized that you would be a winner if not interfered with, and that you were going to pass on the other side of Welch. The moment I realized that, into my mind flashed the conviction that he would try to keep you from winning. The man from Greenville was hanging close to you, and there was a chance that he would beat all of us, unless you had a free course to the finish. I felt that I had a slim show of winning, so I permitted my canoe to drop back till I could cross behind Welch just when you were forging alongside of him. I reserved a certain amount of strength for a great spurt, and I needed it the moment I got into position. When I saw him try to foul you, I used every ounce of energy and drove my canoe into his. That’s all.” “Well, you did a good job, old man; but I don’t know what the judges will say about it.”