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

horse for work; | grew fairly to love
this river and this country; and then
everything spoke so strongly to me
Of the sport l cared for most, There
were lockers here with my uncles
names cut in them: the old niger
cook remembered my father: | wore
cap that had belonged TO one of my
cousins. And the best thing was that
was as good as any of my family.
was steady, fairly smooth and tre"
mendously powerful. As one after an
other of the old oarsmen, the greatest
heroes in the world to me, came down
to help the coaches, and | saw the,3
eve me first critically and then APPROX
ingly. my cup of happiness was fun.,
I knew l was considered strong oar,
one of the best men in the boat. | knew
it from the peculiarly vicious way the
coach swore at me when he had fault
to find, and the peculiarly tender way
he inquired about the rigging of my
seat.
III came to the night before the race,
and ! was happy and hopeful and not
the least excited. The old fellows told
stories and sang songs to keep our
minds off the race, and we went TO bed
quiet and sleepy, / as quiet and sleepy
as the rest.
''Some time in the night | found my
self leaning out of my window. How
I got there | do not know; | remember
nothing after jumping into bed. Bat
there / was, kneeling on the floor, with
my arms resting on the sill. 1t was
glorious June night, with big moon
up in the sky making the river all silver
and deep shadow. A damp, cool breeze
was blowing, and | smelled woodsy
smells and the smell of salt water.
am very fond of nature, but have never
seen her more beautiful than on that
night. Down in the boathouse the
coaches were at work putting some fin
ishing touches to the boat. | could see
them moving about in the lantern light,
and could hear their voices. From the
rooms about me came the heavy, reg
ular breathing of the fellows asleep.
suddenly, as l was gazing at the
moonIit river peculiar change came
over it. At first | thought shadow
had come across it, but the change was
too slight for shadow. The river still
ran in bright. silver sheet; light and
shade were as clearly defined. but in
some way the whole scene was different.
1t was as if | were looking through
glasses ever so slightly darkened. And
in some way ] seemed to be great way
off from il. Yet the sounds were just
as distinct. | could hear the dinghey
humping against the float, and the
voices from the boathouse came up just
as clearly.
"After awhile the men came out of
the boathouse and up toward the house
and, remembering that it would not DO
to be caught out of bed. tried TO get
up. | say | tried--thought of trying
would be better | wanted to get up,
l willed to get up with all my will,
but not muscle stirred. saw the men
outside coming up the walk, their faces
white in the moonlight. and | wanted
TO get out of the way, and never budged.
/ determined to get up, bent my MIND
on getting up until | thought it would
snap, but my great body never stirred.
Ny big arms lay on the sill in front of
me. sinewy. hard as steel, but they
were just as placid and just as helpless
as if they had been sleeping baby's.
l heard the men enter the house. heard
the clink of glasses in the dining room
as they took nightcap, and then
heard the steps of the coach coming up
the stairs to make final inspection.
1t seemed to me that | struggled, or
that part of me did; that l strained and
fought in horrible agony. 1t seemed
to me that the sweat must be breaking
out on me, that my eyes must be start
ing out of their sockets: yet my arms
hung TRANQUILITY on the sill and my big
chest rose and fell quietly and reg
ularly
For some reason the coach did not
look into my room, and | knelt before
the window for don't know how long.
sometimes graphing, it seemed to me.
with my helpless body in the bitteresr
struggle, and sometimes numb with de-
spair. And at last simply rose quiet
ly. with no effort, walked over to my
bed, threw myself on it and fell fast
asleep.
You think it was nightmare? So
did | the next morning, and brushed the
remembrance of it away. Nevertheless,
| felt just Il bit shaken, and could cnly
toy with my breakfast. Some time III
the morning the coach came up to me.
tapped me on the arm and drew me
aside,
Look here, jim he said, what's the
matter?'
II told him nothing was the matter.
He shook his head and frowned impa-
tiently.
".Iou and j owe too much 10 the col
lege to mince Matters he said. Come,
now, what's troubling you? Sleep
well?'
Then | told him about my night
mare. lie listened attentively.
'Humph.' he grunted. III fx you
up a little something. You'll be all
rioht