Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1901-04-05

c~octswaius as they. too. counted tens.
At the end the three were still even,
and the question seemed to be one OF
endurance. The "old man" In the
launch behind was shouting encourage
nicnt to the freshmen, for their burst
Of speed surprised and delighted him.
go II. freshmen IN called.
And Ego it, they did. Ills words put
them OH their mettle. and again the
boat quivercd as eight broad backs
heay j simultaneously. Inch by inch
and stroke by stroke they crcpt ahead.
Again Bruce glanced Mt the other
crews and saw the varsity stroke la
boring desperately to make up what
had been lost. and farther buck he saw
the sophomore crew now permanently
In third place. A great sob Of Joy
shook him: then his eyes went back to
that bright patch cf water, and his car
blade bit moro Gercely as II struck the
surface Of the lake. The little cock
swain was fairly beside himself. He
shouted aloud In his Joy.
ITS 'inlf over. boys" be cried as
they flashed by the old windmill on the
shore. Just keep II up. and we've got
EN- dead. Observation-Disclosures
Yes. hut could they keep It up7 AL.
ready Rrucr's wrists were beginning to
grow numb and his legs shook OF the
slow ecove
And still a mile TO gol
Ills heart thumpcd and pounded. and
the hot breath cnmc gasping through
his open lips tic could hear No. Z
groan at every stroke. but there was
no thought of quitting. Death rather
than that.
But will We never reach the half
mile?' he wondered.
Even as the thought entered his head
the cockswaln called:
"Ouly half a mile more. and we're a
length ahead"
Oh. lucklrss boatl Scarcely had the
words left his lips when No. 3 caught a
crab The stGrboard side Of the shell
sank almost to tho waters edge aa the
unfortunate oarsman tried to drag HIS
blade ont by main force. At once the
speed was checked. and the other boats
drew up rapidly But Bruce kept his
head and never lot the stroke vary a
fraction Of q second. The cockswain.
too. remained cool. His calm voice In
this moment Of CONSERVATION rcns.
sured thr rowcrs. who quickly re-
sponded e his monOtonous "Stroke-
stroke-stroke" as Brucp's blade caught
the water. In a moment all We're row.
ing again as evenly as before the acct
dent but the varsity was almost
abreast Of them The danger Of defeat
after victory had seemed 30 sure made
/ az. freshmen almost mad. They tug
| gei at the sweeps az II they would
break them in twain. Men animated
by such n spirit could not be beaten.
and aoon they were forging to the
front again As they entered on the
last quarter mile they were more than
half a length to the good and still gain
ing slowly But the strain vas begin
ming to tell Bruce's arms were numb
to the elbows. his breath came in quick
pants and a hRZc seemed to have set
tied over him which dullcd tho pain In
his aching muscles. but made his work
only mechanical. Forward and back
ward. forward and backward. his body
swnyed. while the shrill voice Of the
cockRwain sounded faint and far away.
"If | could only stop for an Instant
he thought: only n stroke" And then
he fell to thinking Of what he would
give II he could rest for n stroke
81. yes. $40. even n week from his sum
mcr vacation. and he dreamed of how
he would lie on the cool grass under
the trees during that vacation, too
b~llssfully lazy to and all the
while his weary body RwnyPd hack
ward and forward. backward and for
ward. without ceasing. lie was arous.
cd by that stridcnt voice. nOw grown
strangely hcarsc How he hated 1t! II
was shouting:
"Only n hundred yards more. fellows
Now give her ten one. two. three
And as the tired crew responded tC
the appeal their light boat again lPaped
forward. When the ten was over ther'
was open water between them and the
varsity. while the sOphomores hat
dropped four lengths behind. Still tina
little torment In the stern was not sat
ished.
TN going to count till we cross the
line he announced. and then began
those terrible numbers once more;
zone. two. three. four But with
''23" he stopped and then called;
LET her rum
Thank God. II was over! Eight pair
Of weary hands dropped the oars a
which they had been Juggling ovel
those two long miles. and eight weary
bodies slouched down into their seats
too tired to sit erect.
Bruce leaned over the gunwale anC
plunged his arms into the cold. cleal
water Perfectly content was he as
6lled with the JOY Of triumph. he gazeC
Oyer the fast dnrkening bosom Of TIN
lake and g p the hill to where here nn'
there. n light already twinklcd on tn,
campus And as he gazed softly
sweetly from the " the chimes
pealed forth The Evening Song"
New York Sun.