Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-04-25

echoed an along the line Of boats. "Plenty
Of time, r said Hallett, who held the stern
rope, ready,to paysit out at the last miu-
ute.@ 'sKeep your heads, and do exactly
what I tell YOU and mind, no one else says
a word Baxter be ready to shove her OH
in the bows" 1t took great deal to make
Hallett nervous. "Three minutes gone.
-" Take your coats off said Hallett again.
We flung our coats to the men on the bank,
and made ready for the struggle with
scarcely word. "Now shove her out ana
pass her up-a-l little, steady,1that Wilde.
The winds blowing on shore mind you
keep those stroke oars clear o 'he-eank,
.-u -Four minutes gomez shouted the times
Keeper, and at the same Instant came the
crack of the second gun, that sent the
blood back tony heart STEADY nov. all
don't look out Of the boat" = 6as-.-a No.
+" Five seconds gone.
.T"Keep her we'll out, Baxter.Ii Snoilsfia
lo "Ten seconds gone--15, 20, %, 3d. 30,
49," paddle up, all7-gently---ssteady =
as, So" Look out, Baxter, she's drift
ing in again. -" 81, So ~ I" Get forward,
ali, and look out for the flash. Shove her
out, Baxter, for. heavens sake y" 90, y
and the bows of the boat were
pointing in shore! Baxter, in des-
peration, plunged stinto the water.
and, seizing, one of the oars, showed
us out only just in time. "5o, 3d." |
heard no more. We were off, that was all
Iknew, and the race had begun For the
first few strokes was unconscious of eY-
erything, even of the shouts on the bank,
but my senses soon came back, and l began
to realize the work cut out for me. The
shouting on the bank was tremendous, lull-
ing sometimes for a moment, and then
swelling again into a loud, confused roar.
. "You're gaining now was the.frst clear
sound / heard, 1t was BaXter's stentorian
voice. Quicken up, stroke, and you'll
catch them under the willows. " '''.''''i'' -
! quickened, and the shouts on the bank
told me we were getting nearer and nearer
but Oriel put on a fresh squirt, and though
we continued to gain, it was but slowly.
",Well rowed, q St. Anthony's!4 You're
gaining again Z. Give it, to her!,s Well
rowed ~ Still there was no. bump; the
excitement that had stimulated us was cool
ing now, and theSwork began to- tell My
I could give up the race-anything, rather
Z
We were under the willows now my
arms seemed giving way, and my heart
died within me, as 1 thought of the dis
lance we had yet to row. But then came
the thought of the glory of a bump, and !
said to myself, "Now Manyard,i my boy,
only three minutes more; die rather than
shut up;" and with that my wind seemed
to come back, and puton another squirt
with all the strength had. The crew
picked it up well, and little Wingfeld in
the stern urged us on with all his might
"Stick to it! You must do it now! Lay
it on l.. Now for it'll" he cried and then
stuck his whistle between his teeth and
blew with will That was the, signal for
our final effort. I set my teeth and tugged
as had never tugged before; the voices
on the bank grew louder and more con-
fused, our oars went slashing through the
water, and our boat tossed like cork in
the wash of the boat before US. "Three
strokes more and you're into them! =
shouted Wingield There was loud roar
on the bank, and slight shock through the
boat, an. EASY all !" from Wingfeld, and
all was over. We had made our bump,
and were happy. would not have ex-
changed places that minute with any man
you like to name. Never before, and never
since, have felt anything like the calm,
triumphant happiness of rowing back to
our barge with the Oriel behind us, and
the cheers of half the river ringing in our
ears. And then what heroes we were as
we stepped out of the boat !! The cheer
ing, the patting on the back-the almost
hugging that we got! Oh, it was worth
millions! .diagl-H 4 a8 a5.a
"Stroke, my lad" said Hallett, "you
rowed like man. H" Like three men, you
mean," put in Baxter, who was greatly ex-
cited. at was a grand race; your squirt
at the top willow was simply splendid
Come along, old boy, you must be awfully
pumped come and sit down !; you're the
pluckiest little brick l know" ~ -
That night, when dinner was over, a
crowd gathered on the halEsteps, and Hal
lett, with huge silver cup in his hand
that one which reminded us of our gtri
umphs at Henley, came out and drank etc
the health Of the gallant Torpid; and
then such cheers rang outas would have
been worth your while to hear. And SC
the first day of the races came to an end
That was the great day for us; we bumped
two more boats, but neither of them gave
us such a race as the one [ have described
and we ended second on the river
"By Jove!" said Tip, triumphantly, as
we walked up to College after the last race
"we haven't been so high on the river fol
five years won't we have rafting bump
supper, and no mistake! |"
8 =