THE CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
"Riverview lads this way!"
"Over here, Waterside!"
"Ready for a rush!"
"Sweep 'em off their feet!"
These were the rallying cries that followed the momentary lull in the
fighting. The students, who had their second wind, were preparing for
a rush that might have had serious results, when suddenly there came
a deluge of water. A spray of white shot into the air amid a puffing
sound and descended in a drenching shower on the fighting crowd.
"Gee! it's raining!"
"Wow! I'm soaked!"
"It's the fire engines! They're turning the hose on us!"
These yells were substituted for the battle cries. And it was true, two
powerful fire engines were squirting heavy streams on the belligerents.
It was the most effective measure that could have been taken. The chief
of police, summoned by spectators of the big fight, and knowing that
with his few men he could not cope with hundreds of excited students,
had thought of the fire apparatus.
"It will disperse them quicker than anything else, and I won't have to
disgrace them by making any arrests. Turn on plenty of water," said the
chief.
And he had been obeyed. From two sides, taking them in front and at the
rear, the engines played until gasping, choking, struggling to maintain
their footing under the force of the streams, seeking to find a dry
place, the fighting students turned and ran for cover.
"Riverview this way!" shouted Frank. "To the trolleys!"
"Over here, Waterside!" came the answering call.
"I guess they've had enough of river and water to-night," chuckled the
chief of police. "My! that was hot while it lasted! What was it all
about?" he asked of some of the bystanders who had been to the lecture
and had seen the start of the row.
"Oh, it seems that Riverview challenged Waterside to a rowing race, and
the Waterside lads sent back an insulting answer."
"Are they afraid to row the Riverview crowd?" asked the chief.
"It looks so," was the reply.
"It must be," said another man. "But I don't see what they're afraid
of. Riverview hasn't much of a crew of late years."
"Still Waterside seems afraid," came the retort.
Thus was sown a little seed that was destined to bear much fruit and
bring about a closer relation of the two schools.
The talk of the chief and his friends was heard in the crowd and was
repeated. From mouth to mouth the news flew:
"Waterside was afraid to row Riverview and that started the fight."
This rumor spread, gaining at each telling until it was heard by the
retreating lads from the school that had insulted our heroes' crew.
"Afraid of those dubs?" cried one indignant and dripping Waterside lad.
"Not on your life!"
"Then why don't you row them?" asked someone.
"They're not in our class."
"You're afraid, I guess."
"We are not."
"Then give them a race. That's the best way to prove it."
"Oh, what do you know about it, anyhow?" and with this rather
ungracious retort the school lad hurried away to join his fellows.
"Humph! I know enough to know when some people aren't getting a square
deal," said the man. "But Marsden certainly had her share of excitement
to-night. I guess I'll go to bed."
While the lads from Waterside were making their way to their
meeting-place, which they had agreed upon when leaving the trolleys
to go to the lecture, the boys from the rival school were also
congregating in readiness for going back to their dormitories. In
consequence there was no further clash between the factions, for which
Frank and Andy were glad.
"Say, what is this bunch, anyhow?" asked the conductor, as the wet and
dripping boys piled aboard his car. "Are you from some swimming school?"
"No, we've just been showing the lads from Waterside how to behave,"
spoke Andy.
"Well, climb aboard, then," said the conductor. "But don't get any more
water in the car than you can help."
It was a wet and weary crowd of students that alighted at Riverview
Hall a little later. Some were bruised from the conflict with their
rivals, many had fallen down and received cuts, while others were
shivering from their damp and soaked clothes. It was little consolation
to know that Waterside Hall students were in the same condition.
"Did you hear how one man was rigging a fellow from Waterside about
them being afraid to row us?" asked Andy of Frank, as they sat
shivering in a corner of the car.
"I sure did, but I don't think it will amount to much."
"Not unless we can scare those fellows into giving us a race. How's
your nose?"
"Oh, it hurts. How's your leg?"
"I can walk on it, but that's about all. I'll be dead lame to-morrow.
Some fellow gave me a fierce kick."
Then followed an exchange of experiences, in which the lads told how
they had been hurt and how they had given good returns in exchange.
Fortunately, when they reached the school, Professor Callum was in Dr.
Doolittle's room, consulting him, and so the unpopular instructor did
not see the bedraggled group of students arrive. They hurried to their
apartments and got into dry clothes.
Of course the next day the authorities at Riverview heard about the
riot. But as there were no individual complaints, and as no special
student's name was mentioned, no action was taken.
Dr. Doolittle contented himself with cautioning the boys about getting
into conflicts with students from other schools. To this Professor
Callum could not help adding a word. He said he thought he would be
able to pick out the ring-leaders, and he warned them that unless they
mended their ways they would be expelled.
"He means us," said Andy to Frank, as they filed out of the chapel.
"Well, what's the odds?" asked the older lad. "He daren't make any open
remarks." So they let it go at that.
Meanwhile there was much disturbance at Waterside. The lad who had been
taunted by the man in the crowd told his story, and there were storms
of protest at the implied accusation.
"We're not afraid to row them!" declared the captain of the four.
"Then why don't you do it?" Tom Crawford wanted to know.
"They're not in our class."
"That's a poor excuse. If you can beat them do it good and proper. Then
they won't want another race. Row 'em, is what I say."
"Same here!" came from a number of others, until the 'varsity four, for
very shame's sake, was obliged to agree.
"Well, we'll accept their challenge," declared the captain of the four,
after a hot discussion several days following the riot. "We'll give 'em
a race, but it will be a walkover for us."
"Don't be too sure," said Tom Crawford, who had watched the improvised
crew of Riverview on the river.
The surprise of Frank and his chums may be imagined when, a couple of
days later, they received a communication from Waterside. It was brief,
but to the point.
"If you still wish to enter into a race with us," the letter said,
"we will accept your challenge. Our committee will meet with one
from your school to arrange details."
"Well, wouldn't that jiggle your oars!" cried Andy.
"It puts 'em just where we want 'em, though," declared Jack.
"Yes, I guess we'll have a race after all," said Frank. "That
free-for-all fight wasn't so bad as it seemed."
Soon the news of the coming race had spread all over Riverview Hall.