Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1910-07-08
; Mr.. Stroke
A Boating Story In Which
There Is Mystery.
By KINGSBURY WEIGH.
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.
By KINGSBURY WEIGH.

we were SITTING IN room above
where the boats were kept, in easy
chairs, all university men, talking
about boating incidents, oarsmen and
the paraphernalia for rowing. The air
was thick with tobacco smoke, princi-
pally from pipes, the students favorite
smoke. We had met to talk over prep
arations for the coming season, which
was soon to begin. Having finished
that subject, we dropped, as l have
said, into general chat on aquatic sub
3ects and from this into stories of feats
that had been performed at contests
on the water in days gone by. col
lege. being a constantly changing COM
munity, Is not good place for handing
down legends, but occasionally q grad
uate will return to tell of some episode
that happened In his day and was at
the time the talk of the institution.
We had with us on this occasion q
man who had dropped In unannounced,
remarking that he was a graduate of
the college of ten years. standing and
had In his day been member Of the
university crew. He must have been
graduated very young. for he looked
scarcely thirty. A cast or some imper-
lection in his eye gave him an uncanny
look. and from the moment of his ap-
| pearance he was a damper on our spir-
its.
'These old men," whispered Tom
kins, sophomore, to me. who were
| In hnf . k4
sance. They're always trying to feel
that they are In their teens again,
and they only succeed in making us
feel as old as they are"
Ibid you ever pull in a regattaT !
asked the alumnus.
YES" was the reply, II pulled in
one"
What year was that?" inquired.
Its not a pleasant subject to talk
about; we lost the race"
ITO what did you attribute the fail
ure?" asked one of our number There
is always a reason for every beating a
crew gets. One time it is the stroke,
another the training, another the cock
swain"
81 was the cause Of the failure on
that OCCASION" replied the stranger.
Never were words spoken in a more
melancholy tone. There was not a
man in the party who did not take his
pipe out of his mouth. fix his eyes on
the speaker and feel a cold chill pass
over him. The stranger continued:
I'VE had been beaten by our great
rival in two successive seasons, and
for this regatta had made every prepa-
ration, taken every precaution to Sc
cure a triumph. We had the best
coach the country afforded. new boat
made on the most approved model, our
system OF training was perfect and our
practice constant. The betting began
at to on our crew. and before the
race was on there were no takers at
2 to /.
1.-The day of the race was beautiful;
not cloud In the sky; just enough
breeze with plenty Of ozone in it for
inauguration. When the hour for the
race came the temperature was quite
hot enough to timber our joints and
muscles.
THE scene along the river banks was
enhancing. The bright colors of the
girls dresses and parasols made a per-
feet flower garden. while on the river
boats bearing both girls and boys were
shooting back and forth like water
sprites.
when we went out on the floating
platform to get into the boat there was
a mighty cheer from our hackers that
can hear TO this day. Babcock was
No. /. Aver 2, Cameron g. Bosworth 4.
Willmarth 8. Frost 6, Mayo T."
singular" remarked one Of US, that
you should remember their names so
WELL"
II shall never forget them"
You left out the stroke" said.
81 was the stroke"
i Why 1t was that none of us could
muster pluck to ask the man his name
! don't know. We all wished to know
1t, but not a man chirped.
eve stepped into the boat" contin-
ued the stranger, stripped to the
waist. Eight good men with not a
pound of fat on any of us and in all
other respects in perfect condition. l
had for months been absorbed in what
had now come. For 1t my studies had
been neglected. and | would have to
bone all summer to make up 'condi-
TONS But cared nothing for that.
My whole soul was merged in the idea
of beating our opponents.
1--WE pulled into position. the shot
was fired. and we made a good start
bn the first trial. our boat half a
length behind over the line. But we
made this up within a minute and
were soon half length ahead.
heard none of the wild cheers. l saw
neither the boat, the water nor the
shore dotted with waving handker-
chiefs. | was conscious only of the
mighty effort l was making to get
the boat over the course. Once only
saw drops of water tossed into the
air when the oar blade Of ono Of orr