“I can’t let him beat me!” exclaimed Peter, while an ugly look stole over his face. “If I don’t get my copy there first I’ll be discharged. I’ve got to beat him, by fair means or foul.” The distance between the boats was fast widening. Larry’s was three-quarters of a length ahead now. “I’ve got to do it!” exclaimed Peter in a low tone. Then, with a sudden yank on the tiller ropes, he shifted the rudder so that the bow of his boat was pointed straight at Larry’s craft. “Look out!” cried Tony, who saw the movement. “You’ll upset us!” Larry, hearing the shout, turned to see Peter’s boat racing toward him. He tried to steer out of the way, but there was no chance. An instant later the two boats came together with a crash. The gunwale of Larry’s boat was cracked, and the force of the impact was so heavy that his craft careened until the water came over the other rail. “We’re upsetting!” cried Tony, throwing himself to one side in an endeavor to prevent what seemed certain to happen. Nor could he avoid it, for a second later the boat turned turtle, throwing the two occupants into the water. “You did that on purpose!” cried Tony, as he began to strike out vigorously toward Peter’s boat. “It was an accident!” cried Peter, somewhat alarmed at the outcome of his mean trick. “Can you swim?” asked Tony of Larry, who had sunk once, but who soon bobbed up again. “Yes--I--can!” gasped the boy. “I had--to--kick--my--rubber--boots--off--though!” They both struck out for Peter’s boat, expecting that the occupants would stop and assist them. But this was not Peter’s idea. Jim would have stopped rowing and gone to the rescue of those in the water, but Peter steered the boat to one side and the momentum carried it a considerable distance away. “Aren’t you going to help them?” asked Jim. “No!” snapped Peter. “You keep on rowing. We must get to the telegraph office first! I’ve got to beat them!” “But they may drown!” “No danger. They can both swim, and they can cling to their boat until we come back. Someone will come out from shore for them. See, some boats are starting already.” This was so, several small craft putting out as soon as those on shore saw the accident happen. “Now you row on!” commanded Peter. “I hired you to take me to the telegraph office and we haven’t time to stop and rescue people.” “Well, of all the mean--” began Jim, and then he stopped. He realized that Larry and Tony were in no particular danger, but he felt that they should be taken into his boat. However, he wanted to earn the ten dollars Peter had promised him. “Are you going to leave us?” called Tony. “It ain’t my doings,” called back Jim. “He won’t let me stop.” “Then he’ll get his stuff to the telegraph office first,” said Larry. “He’ll beat me!” He and Tony were clinging to the keel of their overturned boat. “Maybe we can get this right side up and catch them,” suggested Tony. “No, it’s too late,” said Larry sorrowfully. “They have too much of a start.”