The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-08-24

before il was time to get the beat into
the water. | was lying fun length on
the float ready dressed, just trunks and
stockings, you know. l was lying
there, letting the warm sun beat down
on my big bare body and lazily stitfen-
ing and relaxing my limbs to see the
muscles stiffen and swell and then re-
lax. | was lying there laughing TO my
self to think that at last / was going
to do the thing l had all my life de-
sired TO do; laughing to think of the
splendid power with which | could do
it, And then, just as quickly and as
quietly as you please, everything
seemed to be under light shadow.
"Just then the coach came running
down the bank.
"'Now boys, be alive he cried.
Time to get out the boat
Everybody jumped up bat me.
Frank Moore gave me little lick.
Get up, old lazybones.' he said.
Then he caught up one of my arms.
But when he let it go ii fell back heav-
lily on the pianlls.
Good God he gasped, something's
the matter with jim
''They crowded ro>ad me in min
ute, CONSERVATION on every face. and
the coach came thrusting through
them.
Throw water on him, he cried.
Shake him. Get the DOCTOR
"They rolled me and L rolled like a
log. They drenched me with water
and l never gasped. They worked over
me as if | had been drowned, and 1
looked up into their faces with CLASSY
eyes and fought. my God, how fought,
to speak to them.
AT last some one said: is he dead =
allow should | know?' said the
coach Where's the doctor?'
''On the observation train by this
time said some one.
well, we can't stop any longer,
there's the referees boat now cried
the coach. jerks, you stay here with
him. Brown, You row in his place.
They laid me just inside the boat
house Then the floor shook TO their
steady tramp as they carried out the
boat-the boat that was fairly part of
my life. They took out the oars, they
got one by one into the boat, the
coach's last lecture came to me in a
long monotone. Then the coXswan S
orders, sharp and clear, pause, then
the swish of The oars through the wa
ter. My hearing was never so acute.
| could even hear the peculiar little
grunt that my own rowlock always
gave.
They passed where could see them
for a minute. / saw the long, steady
swing that was as natural to me as
breathing, the row of brown faces !
knew so well rising and falling togeth-
er. And in my seat, the seat | cher
ished more than any in the world,
rowed hulking Brown-Brown, who
had no idea of time, who even as they
started was little out.
'l've heard of men whose hair has
turned white through the agony they
suffered Mine didn't turn white; and
yet, did suffer?
Il tried to forget everything, but
lay, it seemed 10 me for hours, every
minute of them q day long, until /
heard the swishing of launch COM
ing up stream. 1t bumped against the
float. there was babble of voices and
stamping of feet. Then little keight-
ley, the freshman coxswain, rushed in.
"'Here's the DOCTOR, he cried.
"'How did it come out!' said jerks,
breathlessly, who from the first had
famed me unremittingly.
"'lt was a great race, said Keight-
ly, but Grown caught crab in the last
mile and they beat us by ten feet
Then the light shadow slipped quiet
ly off everything and l groaned and
SAT up.
When the poor broken-hearted boys
came back helped them carry in the
boat They were very good to me. But
| have never tried to row since. i only
watch.'--N. Y. Sun.