Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-07-22

nov came the tug Of war. Tor wind md
wave were both against them. On The hooas
stretch
On, that mischievoxs breezel ft toad IL
water against Their bows Il caught tbeis
nars and tried 10 soap them in two. Is blind
ed their eyes with spray. until, HsIdsnly.
there was . cry Ct terror from the sbors-
Twig Elders boat bad gone under.
There was brief momens Of fsns. aad then
all four boys scrambssd 70 the shore
Never for . moment did Solomon OF Ton
faIter, though Toms boat uas heavy With
the water in it, bottom La hve minnts it
vas of no Use 20 struggle
Row To shors snd bail ost.'' shouted Mr..
Il. AIxerpon: and there was no choice but TO
obey.
Just then Soiomoa's boat vas seen beading
for the opposite bank She vas full Also.
Was there ever such . ridiculous racss
Even Mr.. Cruesett, 5r., said, Give il up"
but the boys we're too excited 70 do that nov.
IL was q tux<le 10 500 which crew soah -
ready first 10 start a-r~sh-
Al one and the same mofnent they pushed,
once more, into the stream, Solomon still .
rrine ahead The crowd On the bank called
out eneouragiHsiy. The boys tugged The
breeze, evidently thinking It q game all gotten
up for it, especial benefit, whisksd up and
down, blew high and low. and threw pailfuls
Of water into the boat.
Il was in vain that Ton took OF his cap TO
tail That boat was doomed Deeper and
deeper it sat In the river. AT last under IL
went, when only fifteen lengths from the goal
In fact it turned completely over. and when
IL ruse to the top was bottom upwards, while
the crew were all adrift tn the midst Of ire
tnendoas spashing. Tom remembered that
bod Amss. who pulled bow" could not
swim, and caught him by the collar.
Get hold OF the boat. bod, p" he cried As
for The rest Of you-nind, no~-haul the
craft along and swim like whales-eyery one
II your
There wasa great shout from the spectators,
when, dragging the boat. the piucky three
struck out, not for the shore, but for the goal;
bod Ames hanging, dead weight, To an out
rigaer Solomon crew rowed-Tomis swan
behind.
You should have beard Philemon and Ro-
meo Augustus cheer You should have be-
held the academy girls wave their handker-
chiefs You should have seen Farmer Brown
Jump right up and down, calling out ''Sakes
and daisies Sakes and daisiesi Sakes and
daisiesf' without an idea OF what he WAS say
ing
OF course SoIomon's boat first gained tho
goal. and then those four boys set up a yell,
70 encourage the brave swimmers behind
On they came battling the waves The wind
roared, the water hlssed.
Come out, you idiots II shouted Mr..
Crockett
Swim, boys. swim hArdl" cried H. Alger-
non.
80, Tommy Tommy shrieked little Milly
Tyrrell in an agony.
"Hurrah! Hurrahl Hurrahr' cheered the
crowd.
"Whe--w! Whe e-ew-Whe-e-ew |"
whistled that wicked wind
There was one final effort, one more strong
dash forward The boat grazed the stake.
The second prize was won
Kind hands drew them, blue with cold, out
Of the water Some ran for hot drinks, some
for blankets. Old Mr.. Crockett, beside him.
self at the result Of his own rashness caught
Tom Tyrrell in his arms, AMI rushed with
him To his own house, scolding him hercely
all the way for daring to get swamped, and
tucked him, numb with cold, between two
feathtx- beds In came Mrs. Crockett and
Miss Belinda with bags Of hot water and two
bottles OF Jamaica ginger They rubbed
him, they dosed him
At last, with chattering teeth, he was able
70 ask for bod Ames and the rest. They
had been carried TO different houses and put
to bed; and such healthy little fellows were
they all, that, when evening came, from the
way they ate ice cream, you wouldn't have
believed they ever knew what it meant to
shver
Miss Belinda herself bestowed the prizes
blue caps and all; for Twig Elders crew
should not be ducked for nothing Mr.. Il
Algernon made a speech, and Mr.. Crockett
beamed ON all
Didn't tell you that if the boats swamped
they S,uld swimi Tut TUT TUT" said he
Mary Densel.