It seemed as if everybody in London was in a boat on the river that afternoon, or hanging over one of the bridges, or waving energetically from one of the banks. All along the course these were black with people, and beside them, crowded boats fairly jostled one another at anchor. “The Siren” steamed up almost to the finish line before she came to her allotted station, and John explained, on Billy Benson’s authority, that even if they couldn’t see the actual finish, they could be practically certain that whoever had the lead here would win the race.