Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1867-05-03

always la,e has body seen him.
''lIc was loahng down the bank Eve minutes
ago" said Hilton.
Then why the deuce didn't you bring him
back? You'll all be late at the start, and have
TO row up in yonr coats
Two or three men we're dispatched to ind
the missing one, bu, minute after minute wen,
by, and he did not come. EIallctt and B.xtcf
Lad gone down to the start, and Tip, left in
charge was Wild
'Ten minutes TO three; you won't be down
in time; the FIRST gun fires a, three; all the
boats are off, except Biasenose, now. Con
found that fellow We're z and Tip was proceed
ing to use still stronger language when rere
looking wonderfully unconccrned, made hi.
appearance.
I'm afraid m rather late, he began.
Late! I should think you we're; whcr,
the deuce have you been? But never mina
now jump in and lets get of, we've no time
to lose" And off We went
We had to row pretty fast, for it was nearl,
Il mile TO our starting post, and, as Tip said
there was no time to be lost The Hrst gun
fred just before We reached our post, and
when We did we had still 10 turn, and i; is no
easy thing to turn boa, fifty feet long with
ont a keel and with no room to spare A.
last we were safely round and lying und
the hank. q good deal our of breath from II.
Tow down and the fear Of bring too late
Two minutes gone, sung ont our time
keeper on the bs nix, and the words were echo
Ell all along the line Of boats. Plenty Of time,
laid I!ale'f, who held ,hc strrn:ope, ready /,
pay il out at the last minute. Keep ,on
heads, and do exactly wisat tell yon, nn,
mind, no one else says word. Baxter. Il
ready TO shove her off in the hews' II tool
great deal TO make Hsllett neI Yous. "Tlsc,
minutes gone"
Take your coats off, said Halle,i gain
We flung our coats TO the men on the bank
and made ready 70, the struggle with sca' eel
word. N.Now shove her on; anu pass he,
mp little; steady, that will do. The wind g
blowing on shore; mind you keep those strol,
oars clear of the bank, Baxter
-Four minu,cs gone, slioued the time
keeper and at the same instsnt, alur tie crac
Of the second gun that sent the b!om back I,
my heart STEADY now, all; don, IoJk on
OF the boat
''Five seconds gone
"Keep her well out, Baxter
'Ten seconds gonc--l5, 20 g. 8, 81, 4O'
Paddle VI; all-senty y--steaiy IS, 80
Look ont, Baxter, she's drifting in again. =
Isl. ~" Get forward. all, and look on. foi
The tiash Shove her ont, Baxter for heaven
$ Ike -'.i5. and tie bows of the beat were
pointing in shore. Baxter. in desperation
plum ed into the water, aud. seizing one If
the oars, showed us oat only in n time. ..5,,
50. l heard no more. We were of. that was
III | knew AMI the race hal begun. Fer the
first few strokes was unconscious of every
thing. even of the shouts IN The bank, bu, nv
senses soon came back, and began to realize
the work c,it ont for me. The shouting on the
hank was tremendous. lulling sometimes fora
nome and then swelling again into loud
confused roar.
.'lou re gaining now was the first clear
sound heard. Ii was Baxter's sientoriau
voice "Quicken up stroke, and You Il catcl
them under the willows"
| quickened, and the shouts on the bank
told me we were getting nearer and nearer;
A-tn al ~,
continued to gain, it was but slowly Well
rovcd, ST. Anthony You're gaining again
Give it to her! Well rowed = Still there
was no bump; the excitement tlat had sfinu-
lated us was cooling now, and the work he
gan TO tell. My wind seemed utterly gone,
aud felt MS if could give up the race-any-
thing ra,her than go on at this killing pace.
We were under the willows now my arms
seemed giving way, and my hear, died within
me. as thought of the distance we had yet TO
row. Blu, then came the thought of the glory
uf bump, and said to myself, Now Man,
yard, my boy, only three minutes more; die
rather than shut up; and with that my wind
seemed to come back, aud put on another
squirt with all the strength had. The crew
picked it up we'll, and little Mingfeld in the
stern urged lis on with all his mi -ht. Stick
to it You must do it now Lay it or. Now
for IT. he cried, and then stuck his whistle
between his teeth and blew with will. That
was the signal for our fnal effort set my
teeth and tugged IS ha never tur eyed b.
fore the voices on the bank grew louder and
more confused, our oars wen, slashing through
the water, and our boa, tossed like cork III
the wash Of the boat before us. "'rhree strokes
more and you re into them !! shouted Ming
field There was loud roa, on the bank. and
n slight shock through the boat, an EASY air.
from Wingield, and all was over. We had
made our bump, and were happy. would
not have exchanged places that minute with
any man you like .te name. Never before,
and never since, have felt anything like tie
calm, triumphan, happiness Of rowing back to
our barge with the Ouel behind ns. and I
cheers Of hall the river ringing in our ears
And then what heroes we were as we stepped
,ut Of the boat! The cheering, the pa,ting on
he hack-the almost hugging that We got!-
lh, il WAS worth millions
"Stroke, my lad. said Halle,t, ''you rowed
like man" "Lkc three mon, you mean,
put in Baxter, who was greatly excited. III
was grand race; your spnrt Mt the top vii
ow was simply splendid. Come along, old
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