Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-07-01

| yachts lou Know Il lot about them
and your Ariadne is the fastest boa
of her class afoat in American
watersS'
Its fthat or nothing" Blanche re
| piled. IF you accept, I'll send my
sailing lmaster to you TO arrange the
details;i if not, L shall consider any
future attentions from you as the
world would consider an insult from
one who has refused to fight
There was nothing for Leighton but
TO seize upon this one chance. He
| agreed to the terms, the best two in
| three races, sailed under the standard
| yachting rules. Both yachts We're in
| spected and measured, but this was a
mere form, for neither was to give the
other any time.
On the cay of the first race few knew
anything about it, and those who did
failed to see much pleasure in prospect
| for race between the feet Ariadne
and the commonplace Oneida.
There was a fine breeze to the stake
| boat. and the Ariadne sailed away
from the Oneida, turning the stake
half mile in the lead, but coming
| back there was much surprise on the
part of the spectators TO see that the
Oneida under n slackening wind gain
ed on her rival, but she did not make
up more than half her loss. and the
first race was won by Miss Asche.
AT the Second-a triangular race
there was scarcely any wind at all
The spectators speculated as TO how
the Oneida could get over the water
while the Ariadne was almost be
Gained, but it was generally supposed
that the sailor of the former took ad-
vantage of a tide current. The Oneida
drew away from her rival on the
second leg Of the triangle and kept
most of what she had gained on the
third leg, coming in a full minute
ahead.
Miss Asche's heart stood still.
Before the third race was sailed the
captain of the Ariadne asked permits
sion TO make a personal inspection Of
the Oneida. 1t was granted. but if the
inspector was looking for some pro
polling machinery he found none. In
deed there was no need of such an in
spectiOn, for representative of each
owner sailed on the opposing yacht
The captain went away apparently sat
isfied. but puzzled.
There We're Il few persons on the
dock early in the day before the third
race who saw members of the Oneida's
crew go aboard and noticed that when
they walked it was with stiff gait.
while one of them had n stomach on
him disproportionate to his limbs. But
these witnesses had nothing to do with
the yachts or the races.
The third race was to and from n
stake boat with the wind on the quar-
ter. The winning of the second race
by the Oneida had excited an interest
in the last trial. and the course was
covered by yachts and pleasure boats
OF course no one knew Of the stake or
there would have been no room on the
water for the contestants. If the sec
ond race was surprise, the third was
a marvel. The Oneida, without carry
ing either the sail or having the excel
lent lines of her rival. had no sooner
got away under an eight knot breeze
than she began to draw ahead, turn |
ing the stake a quarter of a mile in adj |
vance. On the way back the breeze |
lulled, and with the lull the relative |
speed of the Oneida increased. She |
crossed the line three-eighths of a mile |
ahead of the Ariadne amid shouts of |
the spectators and barking of yachts |
cannon.
There was suspicion that. after all, |
there had been fraud perpetrated in the |
race. but Miss Asche's representative |
said that he had been on deck every /
Of every race and could have |
detected it If practiced. Mr.. Leighton |
dined with the loser on the evening of /
the last race, and after dinner they re-
tired to the library, where he claimed |
his reward. Miss Asche confessed with
her head on his bosom that she had |
dreaded lest she should win. Never
theless she was chagrined that her l
yacht should have been so ignominious- /
" beaten.
Don't distress yourself about that, /
sweetheart" said her lover. ''TOmor-
row l will give you a sail in her and II
show why she was beaten"
When they We're aboard the Oneida
Leighton gave the crew orders TO line
lp on deck From the fat mans stOm-
ich he took the parts Of pump, while
he rest pulled sections OF piping from
lnder their trousers legs. These were
AIKEN to the keelson, a cork taken from
hole in the stem and one from the
stern. When the apparatus had been
put together. water was sucked noise
essly from the forehead hole and eject
d from the one at the stern.
81 got the idea" said Leighton.
from a marine animal that propels
tself in the same fashion"
Miss Asche was satisfied. She had
ost the race, as she had secretly de-
4R9& and her boat was still her pride.