"She certainly looks like a winner," commented Rob, as he gazed
at her clean, slender lines and sharp bow.

"She's got wonderful speed," Tom Jennings confided. "We tried
her out the other night when no one was around. But I don't
think that in rough water she'll be much good."

"No, I'd prefer the Flying Fish for the waters hereabouts,"
agreed Rob, "it's liable to come on rough in a hurry and then a
chap who was out in a dry-goods box, like that thing, would be in
trouble."

"What are you calling a dry-goods box?" demanded an indignant
voice behind them, and turning, the lads saw Sam Redding with a
menacing look on his face. A little way behind him stood Bill
Bender and Jack Curtiss.

"Oh, I beg your pardon, Sam," said Rob. "I really admire your
hydroplane very much, and I think it will give us a tussle for
the trophy, all right; but I don't think she'd be much good in
any kind of a sea-way."

"That's my business, you interfering little runt," snapped Sam,
who, with Bill Bender and Jack Curtiss to back him, felt very
brave; though ordinarily he would have avoided trouble with the
young scouts. "What are you doing spying around the yard here,
anyhow?" he went on insolently.

"We are not spying," indignantly burst out Merritt. "We asked
Tom Jennings if we couldn't look at your hydroplane, as we were