Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-01-11

| relaxed at this time. Al any t4Ie, our
opponents. having turned the stake
boat behind us, made q squirt and over
hauled us. Then down again We got
to work and had gained three lengths
quite enough considering there was
but a quarter of mile remaiDinG-to
| give us the race. when
| The narrator stopped. pallor came
over his face. and be gasped. Several
Of us started toward him. but he waved
| Us back.
something In me gave way. fell
over into the arms Of No. Z. Our com
petitors shot by MS and-won the race"
/ have never experienced such de-
pressing. not to say thrilling. sensation
| as when the narrative ended While
the narrator was describing the race
| It seemed as If could see the boats
dashing onward and hear the cheering.
When he spoke Of the disaster some
how my Imagination pictured blood
speuting from his mouth and nose.
Not a man among Us but appeared to
be similarly shocked.
Come" said one Of our number.
Gets adjourn to the - and get some
supper"
"Agreed!' cried the rest. glad to
break the spell and eager for some
thing to brace US after listening to the
weird narrative.
We went out into the darkness. the
stranger with Us. When we reached
the - some one asked. where's MI
Mr.. Stroke?'
Don't know" replied one behind.
II thought he was ahead with you fei-
lows"
Every one thought be was with some
one else.
Mr.. Stroke. as We called him, had evil
IDENTIFY taken advantage Of the dark
ness to steal away unobserved. We
were quite relieved at his doing So
The effect Of his story was. to say the
least, depressing, and we were glad to
get rid of him. We ordered some
supper and while waiting for it talked
about him. wondering who he could
have been and what race 1t was that
he had lost for his crew. Since he had
not given US bis name. we did not feel
that we possessed sufficient data upon
which to make inquiries.
As the season advanced we forgot
all about Mr.. Stroke and his story. l
| was much interested In the coming re-
gatta and the preparations for 1t,
though ] was not 4 member of the
university crew. Our college had been
doing bad work at boating for a long
period. In ten years ! think We had
beaten our principal adversary but
twice. This year we hoped for and ex-
pected better things. All went well
till the day Of the race. when one Of
the crew fell suddenly III and could
not row. Unfortunately all the avail
able material had been utilized. There
were substitutes galore, but the man
who had dropped out was one Of the
two most important men Of the crew.
To put any one in his place would be
to surely lose the race.
A few minutes before the crews
| went out to the water l asked about
| the substitute and was told that a
| freshman was to row. could not
learn how or why be had been chosen.
but. wishing to have look at him.
went down on to the float The men
were getting into the boat The sub
stitute's face was familiar to me. but
! could not tell where | had seen him.
| Then suddenly 1t rushed upon me that
he was the man we had called Mr..
| Stroke.
Had a freshman been smart enough
to sell US all out as graduate Of ten
years standing with a marvellous story
Of which be was the central figure?
l took a position where | could see
the race all the way and had with me
a powerful fieldglass. Our crew tool
the lead almost Immediately after the
| start l noticed when the crew got into
the boat the substitute took the place
Of No. 8. All through the race l could
see that. while he did not appear to be
| making q herculean effort. he was do
ing splendid work. Our crew kept the
lead they had taken. gradually but
slowly drawing away from their com.
petitors. From a length 1t grew to two
lengths. then three lengths. and At the
finish the race was won by five and a
half lengths.
Never had we been beaten by such
| odds. ! questioned the crew az to how
it happened. for our adversaries had
made better time than ever before. aud
was told that 1t was all on account OF
the substitute. Every time he put bis
oar in the water the boat seemed t.
move forward whether the rest of the
crew exerted themselves or not.
| l became interested In the freshman
substitute. Determined to ind oul
more about him. made inquiries. Bu,
II was at the close of the term. with
the summer vacation ahead. and dis
! covered nothing. Returning In the au
tumn. looked for him among the
sophomores. he was not to be found
| Some said be had not returned to col
I rI-