“You are not going to win this race, Billy,” laughed Percival, as he spun ahead.  “You can’t take all the prizes, my boy, and I am going to beat you this time.”

“Maybe not!” chuckled Billy, using both hands and making the water fly.  “This is a U.S., not a U-boat, and I’m bound to win.”

Jack was full of the spirit of the thing, and pushed the acknowledged rivals hard, presently passing Percival, and shouting to Billy: 

“Look out, my boy, I am coming after you!  Don’t take in too much water.  It isn’t good.”

“Come on, Jack!” shouted Billy.   “I am not going to the bottom
yet, my-----”

Just then young Smith collided with him, and his tub filled in an instant, forcing him to swim for the shore in a hurry.

“You have a submarine now, at any rate!” laughed the younger boy, who went on a few feet farther, and then had to swim for it.

Jack and Percival were now in the lead, and the nearest to the goal, all the rest having had to swim for it by this time, and there was considerable excitement.

Both boys were great favorites and the fact of their entering such a novel contest just for the fun of it, and to please the boys and their visitors, was admired by everybody.

There was an even chance for each of the boys, but the odds were in favor of Jack, although Percival was no less liked by the Hilltop boys.

“Keep her up, Jack!” roared forty boys.

“Go ahead, Dick!” shouted as many more.

Percival had to take to the water a second or two ahead of Jack, who won the race, much to the delight of all the boys, Dick included.

CHAPTER XVI

THE PRIZES AWARDED

It was the day when the prizes were to be announced in the literary contest, and all the Hilltop boys were gathered in the pavilion eager to hear the result of the committee’s consultation.

The doctor arose when all were present, and spoke of the contest, saying that it had brought out the best powers of a number of the boys and showed that they all had considerable ability when they put their minds on affair of this sort, and concluding by saying: 

“I will now read the poem which I consider the best.  In fact, it is the unanimous opinion of the committee that it is.”

Thereupon the doctor began to read the opening lines of the poem, which were as follows: 

“From the hills of the beautiful Hudson,
Rendered sacred by patriot blood,
Come to us most inspiring traditions,
Swelling on in a glorious flood.”

“The mighty achievements of Clinton, Of brave Putnam and—–­“

Here Pete Herring suddenly jumped on his feet, and waving a paper in his hand, cried excitedly: 

“That’s plagiarism!  That thing was not written by any of the Hilltop boys.  It has been taken bodily from a paper published up the state, which I get every week, and was written by-----”