extraordinary exertion. Her crew were still fresh and vigorous, while
those of her rival, though she was every moment gaining upon her, were
taxing their strength to the utmost.

They rounded the stake boat, which had been placed nearly opposite the
mouth of the Rippleton River, and the Butterfly was still three lengths
ahead. They had begun upon the last two miles of the race. Though the
Zephyr still pursued her former tactics, her rival was no longer able to
gain upon her. The latter had thus far done her best, and for the next
half mile the boats maintained the same relative positions.

Frank was still unmoved, and there was some inward grumbling among his
crew. An expression of deep anxiety had begun to supplant the look of
hope and confidence they had worn, and some of them were provoked to a
doubt whether Frank, in the generosity of his nature, was not intending
to let Tony bear off the honors.

"Come, Frank, let her have, now!" said Tim, who could no longer restrain
his impatience.

"Silence! Not a word!" said the self-possessed coxswain.

It was in the "order of the day" that no member should speak during the
race; and none did, except Tim, and he could easily have been pardoned
under the circumstances.

Not yet did Frank quicken the stroke of the Zephyr, though at the end of
the next half mile she was only two boats' lengths astern of her
competitor, which had lost this distance by the exhaustion of her crew.
They had pulled three miles with the expenditure of all their strength.