Mower County transcript., 1869-09-16
II should like little moro grease for my

time OF day seldom liked to display Cnthls
iasm enough to cross the water and go down
to the starting places. These sombrc
groups were lightenod up here md there
by the dresses of a few ladies' who were
walking mp and down and watching the
boats. At tho mouth of the Cherwellwe
moored two punts, in which roclined at
smoking. Several OF these were friends Of
Drysdaie, aud hailed hin, as the boats pas
sed thcm. "What fool am to be here!'
he grumbled in an underdone, casting an
envious glance ut tho punts in their com.
portable berth. up under tho banks, and
out of the wind. II say, Brown, don't
you wish We were we'll past this on tho way
up?"
'Silenco in the bowsv' shouted Mr.. Mil
Ter.
"You dovil. how hate you!" growled
! Drystlale half in Jest and half in earnest,
Us they sped along under the willows.
Tom got moro comfortable Mt overy
stroke, and by the time they reached the
Gut began to hope that he would not have
a tit, or lose all his strength just at the
| start, or cut a crab, or come to some other
unutterable grief, the fear of which had
been haunting him all day.
''Here they aro at last! come along now!
keep up with them!'' said Hardy to Grey
as the boat neared the Gut; and the two,
who had been waiting on the bank trotted
along downwards, Hardy watching the crew
and Grey watching him,
''EIardy, how eager you look!'
I'D give twenty pounds to be going to
pull in the race,
Grey shambl = ION in silence by the side
OF his big frieI and wished he could un-
derstand what was that moved him 80.
As the boat shot into the Gut from under
the cover of the Oxforashire bank the wind
caught the bows.
"Feather high, now," shouted Miller,
and then added in low voice to the cap
tain, lit will be ticklish work starting in
this wind"
"Just as hard for oil the other boats"
answered the captain.
''Well said, old philosopher" said Mil
Ter. ''Its comfort to steer you; you nev-
er make fellow nervous. wonder if you
| ever felt nervous yourself, now?"
"Cant say" said the captain. "Here's
our post, we may az we'll turn.'
EASY, bow-side-now, two and four,
pull her round-back water seven and five"
shouted the coxswain; and the boats head
swung around and two or three strokes
struck into the bank.
Jack instantly made a convulsive attempt
to ,boardibu was sternly repulsed and
tumbled backwards into the water. Hark!
the first gun. The report sent Toms
heart into his mouth again: Several ofthe
boats pushed off at once into the stream;
and the crowds of men on the bank began
to be agitated as it were by the shadow Of
this coming excitement The St. Ambrose,
fingered their oars, put a last dash of grease
in their oarlocks and settled their feet
against the stretchers .at71...
xs .Shau We push her OFF, asked bow;
FsEo,1 can giye you another3 minute" said
Nhlsf, Who was sittm9, vatthIfn hand, in
the stern, "only be smart when give, the
word" ''iE :
The captain turned on his seat and look.
edhnthe bat & hit, :,
His face was quiet but fin Of confidence,
which seemed to pass from him into the
crew. Tom felt stronger and calmer as he
met his eye. 'Now mind boys don't quick
en-, lie said chesrily. ':Four short strokes.
to get way on her, and then steady. t;.Hera
pass up the lemon" And he took sliced
lemon out of his pocket, put a small 7piece
in his own mouth, and then handed it to
1Ss Blake, Ehsl$ssysd Ais.s.sapA and pas;
just as bow secured the end, Miller called
out. : .'.'i
!:Now, jackets off and get her head out
3fs r. ss.tS1 Asrs e;t thrown on shore ahd
gathered up by the boatmen in attendance.
Tho crew poised their oars. No. pushing
out her head, and the captain doing the
same for the stern. Miller took the start
ling rope; in his hand. GLOW the wind
catches her stern!' he said; "there, pay
out the. rope one of,you. No, not you
some fellow with Ia. STRONG hand. Yes,
you'll do.." he went on rs Hardy slipped
down aud took hold of the rope: "let me
have'it foot by foot a. I want it. Not too
quick; make the most OF it; that'll do. Two
and three just dip your oars to give her
way"
Tho rope paid out steadily, and the boat
settled to her place. But now the wind
rose again, and the stern drifted in towards
the bank. r.n ..: t.,
"You must back her bit, Miller, and
keep her little further out, or our oars on
stroke aide will catch, the, bank" -. -
$50 I see. Curse the wind. Back her;
one stroke all. Back her, Ray!' shouted
Miller. ,,,,.
Il is no easy matter to get get crew toback
her AN inch just now, particularly as there
are in her two men who never rowed race
DoIOTe, except III Cne tOFplOH, ana VINO mas
never rowed a race in his life. |
However, back she comes. The starting
rope slackeni IN Miller's left hand, and the
slsas ssst's aSPps e, bssess pu"h?" the stern
Them goes TIA ssapednd gun! pno short
minute;morss aud We ATE oA: aahort min.
ute, indeed Yodiwohdn't fsay 30 if you
were in the boat, with your heart in your
mouth, and trembling all over like a man
with the palsy. ,Those sixty seconds be-
fore the starting given in your first race
why they are little life. .tinle.s !
= "By Jovs, we are drifting in again, said |
Miller, in horror. The captain locke d grim,
but said nothing; it was too late now for
him to be unshipped again. "Here, catch |
hold of the long boat-hook, and fend her
Hardy. to whom. this was addressed,
seized the boat-hook, and, standing with
one foot in the water, pressed the end Of
the boat-hook against'the gunwale at the |
full stretch Of his arm, and SO, by main
force, kept the stern ont. There was just
room for:stroke oars to dip, and that was
harpstring. Will Miller's left hand hold
out? It is an awful moment. But the cox
swain, though almost dragged backwards
off his seal, ia equal to tho occasion. He
holds his watch in his right hand with the
tiller rope.
Eight seconds more only. Look out
for the flash. Remember, all eyes in the
boat y There it comes, at last-tho flash
of the starting gun. Long before tho sound
Of the report can roll up the river the
whole pent-up life and energy which has
been held in leash, as it were, for the last
six minutes, is loose and breaks away with
bound and dash which he who has felt
it will remember for his life, but the like of
which will he ever feel again. The start
ing ropes drop from the coxswain's hands,
tl.o usale As.sL i..to tL.o watos sHad slonna on
the feather, the spray flies from them, and
the boats leap forward.
The crowds on the bank scatter and rush
along, each keeping as near as may be to
its own boat. Some of the men on tho
towing path, some on the very edge OF, Of
ten in, the water; some slightly in advance
as if they could help to drag their boat for
ward; some behind, where they can see the
pulling better; but all at full speed, in wild
excitement, and shouting at the top of
their voices to those on whom the honor
OF the college is laid.
'.Well pulled, all r "Pick her up there,
fiver' 'sYou're gaining every stroke !"
'tTime in tho bows" Bravo, st. Am
brose r. =
On they rush by the side of the boats,
jostling one another, stumbling, strug-
Cling, and painting along.
For quarter of = mile along the bank
the glorious, maddening hurly -burly ex-
tends, aud rolls up the side of the stream.
For the first ten str0kea Tom WAS in too