THE LAST TRY-OUT
"I just got a letter," said Ralph, as Frank joined him.
"I see you have; but it isn't from over the water, because it has no
foreign stamp on it," remarked the other, shrewdly.
"You're right, Frank. But it had the money in it, as usual. This is
just after the first, you know," continued Ralph.
The freshman, who would enter the sophomore class next year, did not
live in Columbia. He had come from a small place called Scarsdale, and
boarded, being one of the pay pupils at Columbia High School.
There was a strange mystery connected with his life, and Frank had
helped bring this very close to a settlement. Ralph had been adopted by
the Wests when a mere baby, taken from the poorhouse in fact. Since the
preceding summer, every month a remittance of forty dollars had come to
him, with a few lines in typewriting in the first enclosure, wishing
him success in obtaining a coveted education.
It turned out that this money came through an uncle of Frank's, a
lawyer in New York. Finally it was discovered through the assistance of
a man named Sam Smalling, that the baby had been left at the poorhouse
at the instigation of one Arnold Musgrove, a gentleman who was now
traveling with his wealthy widowed sister in Europe.
This lawyer uncle of Frank's was now chasing after the couple abroad,
and Ralph anticipated hearing welcome news when Judge Allen found a
chance to talk privately with Mrs. John Langworthy, as the lady was
called.
"Well," said Frank, smiling, "you know we expected that it would turn
up. Uncle has a fund to draw upon, and I suppose one of his clerks had
orders to attend to it as usual while he was away. That shouldn't worry
you, Ralph," and Frank threw an arm across the shoulders of his younger
friend as he spoke.
Ralph's strange position had appealed strongly to the generous lad, who
had never known the time when he was without the loving care of both
father and mother. And Helen, too, was interested in him, since they
were in the same class at school.
"Tell me about the boat. I was so busy up at the house looking over my
things, that I didn't get down until too late. I wondered what all the
noise was about, too. Was it stolen, really, and where did you find
it, Frank?" he asked, eagerly, for Frank was his warmest friend and
advisor, and Ralph loved him like a brother.
"Oh! you couldn't guess in a year. Where but on top of the new
sky-scraper building they are putting up downtown;" and then, as Ralph
expressed the utmost astonishment, Frank proceeded to tell him the
particulars, not forgetting to explain what connection Minnie had with
the discovery of the boat's lodging place.
"Of course though, it would have been found when the men went up to
work. I don't think the fellows who played that prank really wanted to
do anything more than have some fun at our expense. Perhaps they were
some of our friends, and laughed secretly while they pretended to join
in the scramble of a hunt. So I guess that after all Lef Seller and his
crowd didn't happen to be in this game," remarked Frank.
"No, because he never stops at anything when he tries to get even with
a fellow. I met Helen, and she was telling me about your upset last
night, and that you had a sort of an idea Lef was the one responsible
for it," Ralph went on.
"That's what I get for telling a girl. They can never keep a secret.
Helen understood that I didn't want anyone to know what I thought. You
see Ralph, I have no real proof outside of a laugh, and that's rather
weak to hang a fellow. But Lanky is going to burrow around until he
discovers who it was. He's sworn a solemn vow never to rest until he
learns," laughed Frank.
"Yes, and then?" asked his companion.
"Like as not there'll be some sort of a mix-up, especially if it proves
to be Lef. Lanky has been sore on him for a long time, and declares
he's itching to teach him a lesson, given half an excuse. School's out
now, and he can't be hauled up before the Head, you see. I know Lanky,
and between you and the lamppost I guess he's going to learn what he's
after, sooner or later."
The boys had been walking along as they talked, and were now in front
of Frank's house. Ralph looked wistfully over the fence, for there was
something about the place which appealed to this homeless lad; but even
though Frank asked him several times to come in and eat lunch with him
he declined, for Ralph had more or less pride.
"Perhaps," he muttered to himself as he walked hastily away toward his
forlorn boarding place, "I may have a home some fine day, and forget
this awful feeling. Oh! I hope it will be so. And a mother, too--what
that means to me no person can ever know. I try to imagine it, and
every time break down. How slow the days go; and will I ever hear from
Europe and find that I have a mother who is coming to me as fast as
steam will let her."
At four o'clock there were many hundreds of people along the river
watching the animated scene. Never in all its history had the Harrapin
witnessed such a collection of water craft.
Perhaps, hundreds of years back some gathering of the red tribes may
have dotted its waters with birch bark canoes and heavier dugouts.
It would be difficult to picture such a scene however, gazing at the
jaunty shells in which sinewy lads were shooting up and down stream;
noisy little power-boats that could spin along like magic; besides all
manner of other craft, including many cedar canoes, both single and
double.
On this day every boat almost that could carry two had a girl as a
passenger, and their merry laughter and calls encouraged the practicing
athletes in their endeavor to outdo previous records.
Frank found his crew on hand, and evidently in the pink of condition,
at least as growing boys went.
The trainer soon had them in the new shell, and talked earnestly to
them before starting the craft out for a few trial spins before its
last heat over the full course.
Among those who looked on and speculated as to the chances of the
several crews were enthusiasts from Clifford and Bellport. Frank had
also discovered several whom he knew belonged to one or the other of
the rival crews.
When he mentioned this fact to Coach Willoughby the other laughed and
nodded.
"Come to get a line on what you boys can do," he remarked; "but we'll
fool them nicely, all right, depend on it. Remember the stroke I told
you, Frank. On no account go above it to-day; but _in the race_,
when I give the signal, you can _speed up_."
He had been selected as the starter of the race. After that it was
expected that he would return once more to his duties as Columbia's
coach, keeping tabs of his wards by chasing along the river road on a
motor-cycle, and shouting his suggestions through a megaphone.
The umpire would accompany the contestants on board a motor-boat, so as
to watch every move made as much as possible. His was the duty to warn
any man when a foul seemed in danger of being committed, and to remove
any boat crew from the race in case a deliberate one was attempted that
had a bearing on the result.
Scores of voices rang out here and there. The river itself was mostly
given up to the practicing contestants, others being content to hug the
shores, and slip out of the way when a team came dashing along like a
streak.
Canoeists paddled bravely against the current, or came spinning down on
its bosom like flying corks.
Above the clamor and laughter and little feminine shrieks could be
heard the strident voice of the trainer as he called:
"Now, increase your stroke gradually, coxswain! Hit the water, Number
Four! Once again, and a little harder this time! Row easy, all! Leave
off pulling!" and over and over the rounds, while the eight rowers were
striving to make themselves as much of a machine as possible, with
Frank bending backwards and forwards as though he were the pendulum of
a clock.
In one section of the water there was a tremendous lot of enthusiasm.
Here several fellows in bathing suits were practicing the difficult art
of navigating ordinary tubs, with a small paddle of the regulation size
to aid them.
Buster Billings seemed to be the more expert and master spirit of the
lot. The fat boy somehow just took to this sort of thing, and could
make his tub whirl along down-stream in a bewildering series of turns,
but with a speed that quickly distanced his competitors.
"If Buster can keep up the good work to-morrow, Columbia will be sure
of one prize, anyhow," everybody was saying, with great good humor; for
the sight of the whirling, bobbing tubs, constantly threatening an
upset, had been laughable.
"There, they are off at last!" shouted an enthusiastic student who wore
the colors of Columbia High about his hat.
The eight-oared shell was seen speeding up the river. Cheers
accompanied its passage from numbers along the banks. Several men in a
motor-car were apparently timing the quarter, and half. They were from
Clifford, and had a deep interest in getting a pointer on the abilities
of the oarsmen in the Columbia shell.
If the eight lads could hold out on that two-mile heart-breaking pull
up to Rattail Island, they would have it easier on the return. Here the
current assisted, and terrific speed could be maintained.
On shore the coach was riding his motor-cycle, and his voice bawled
constant directions, that were readily carried out by the wide-awake
crew.
So, finally they came to the island, and rounded its upper reach. Frank
had on various occasions sounded every foot of water here, and located
every hidden rock, so that he was quite familiar with his ground as he
carried the boat around on the cross current, and then swung for the
return voyage.
"Well done, coxswain! Good for you! A splendid turn! Now, steady all,
and increase again slowly!" came from the shore; and the words of
praise from that veteran Princeton graduate thrilled Frank pleasantly.
Every boy who owned a watch was timing the heat. Various nods of
satisfaction were exchanged as comparisons were made with recognized
river records. The automobile from Clifford went off in a cloud of dust.
"They don't seem over joyous, those chaps," remarked Coach Willoughby,
as he looked after the machine, and grinned; "perhaps you overdid it
a little, boys, and put on too much steam. They are figuring whether
their fellows can equal it."
"We can do better than that, sir," said Frank, confidently.
"You bet we can," gasped Launcelot Jones, or "Jonsey" as he was usually
called, and who was one of the eight.
Coach Willoughby glanced sharply at him but said nothing just then. A
little later, as Frank was dressing in the boathouse he remarked to
Lanky:
"What did you think of our trial heat, Lanky?"
The other looked around cautiously, as if to make sure that no one
might hear.
"It was all to the good, but if there is going to be a weakness
developed anywhere to-morrow, I think I can put my finger on it," he
said, uneasily.
"I know who it is. I saw Coach Willoughby look at him when he was so
out of breath. I only hope Jonsey doesn't collapse. From what the
trainer said I imagine he means to swing him around to-night, to brace
him up. He also whispered that we must try to favor Jonsey all we can
to-morrow," observed the coxswain.
"That's possible in many little ways. You know they say a chain is only
as strong as its weakest link. I wish we had some one else to put in;
but it's too late now, because he would be a greenhorn," said Lanky.
"Oh! Jonsey is a clever oarsman. He seems to lack in stamina a bit. But
I imagine our experienced trainer has a few wrinkles up his sleeve,
and will know what to do to brace our weak brother up for the great
occasion. By the way, Lanky----"
"Now, I know right well what you're about to spring on me. I told you
to do it, but I reckon the same will sound like a chestnut soon. I'm
on, Frank. Just as soon as I fix this flowing tie to suit my taste,
and please the eyes of the dear girls who throng outside, I'm going to
prowl around and take a look at motor-boats!"
"Thinking of buying one, and want to get posted, eh?" asked the other,
winking.
Lanky grinned amiably, as he started for the door.
"I'm just now interested in the way they make the various type of bows
on the craft; and want to learn how much green paint and varnish
they are guaranteed to detach from the side of a rowboat in case of a
collision!"
"Oh! I see!" exclaimed Frank, laughing; "well, good luck attend your
search!"