Six cadets entered the race, and at a word from a lad on the shore all struck out sturdily for the rock that was to be the turning spot of the contest. At first Pepper was ahead, with Fred second, but presently Emerald drew to the front, followed by Dale. “Hi, this won’t do!” cried Jack, good naturedly. “Throw out your anchor!” “Sure, an’ I can’t sthop, so I can’t!” answered Hogan. As the six swimmers made the turn at the rock one after the other, a rowboat shot into view. It was that containing Reff Ritter and Gus Coulter. “Racing, eh?” murmured the bully, crossly. He had not slept well the night before and was all out of sorts. “I’d like to spoil their fun for ’em,” returned Coulter. “Maybe we can do it,” went on the bully, craftily. “They have no right to get in the way of our boat.” “Say, you wouldn’t run ’em down, would you?” asked his crony, anxiously. “Not very hard, Gus—only enough to break up their race.” “Stop! stop!” cried Andy, in alarm, as he saw the rowboat being sent in close to the swimmers. “Get out of the way!” roared Reff Ritter, ungraciously. “Don’t run us down!” called out Fred. “Turn out, Ritter!” But Ritter would not turn out. Instead he sent the boat closer to shore. All in the water tried to avoid the craft, some swimming to one side and others ducking beneath the boat. The race was completely broken up. Hogan heard the cries, but he was too anxious to win the race to pay much attention. Suddenly the rowboat shot beside him and struck him a sharp blow in the shoulder. With a gasp the Irish cadet threw up an arm and then disappeared from view. “Emerald is struck!” cried Andy. “Oh, I hope he isn’t hurt,” added Jack “It was his own fault,” said Ritter. “Why didn’t he get out of the way?” Now that the damage was done he was somewhat scared himself. “It was your fault, Ritter,” answered Dale. The rowboat drifted over the spot where Emerald had gone down, and all of the other cadets looked in that direction. The Irish lad was nowhere to be seen. “Maybe he’s killed!” gasped Andy. “He got struck pretty hard.” “Oh, don’t say that!” gasped Coulter, and he went white with fear. All of the boys in the water swam to the spot, and presently Jack and Dale caught sight of Hogan, near the bottom of the lake. They dove down and brought him up. He was unconscious and had swallowed considerable water. He could not aid himself and the others took him ashore. “This is the worst trick yet,” said Jack, after Emerald had given a gasp and opened his eyes. “How do you feel, old man?” It was several seconds before the Irish cadet could reply. In the meantime, very much disturbed, Ritter and Coulter had beached their boat and joined the group surrounding the sufferer. “I—er—I lost control of the boat at the last minute,” said the bully lamely. “I didn’t mean to hit anybody. I was only going to scare you.” “It was done on purpose! I saw it,” answered Andy firmly.