THE TRIAL SPIN
"Which way are we going this afternoon for a practice spin?" asked
Corney Shays, as he came alongside Fred Fenton.
There was a lively crowd around the long, low shed in which the new
boat was temporarily quartered, while the new building, a start upon
which had already been made, was being erected.
Several score of persons had gathered to see the boys row, for it began
to look as if the whole community was going wild over the prospects of
another school victory coming to Riverport. Baseball and football, it
seemed, did not wholly satisfy the appetites of the now aroused
Riverport athletes. They had beaten both of their rivals again this
season on the diamond; and now, with Fall a long way off, this boating
fever had seized upon them in its full strength.
Of course most of those present were boys and girls, enthusiastic
believers in the fellows who carried the honor of good old Riverport
school in their hand. It goes without saying that every member of the
crew probably had at least one fair admirer present, who believed that
without _him_ the chances of victory must be mighty small indeed.
"Oh!" replied Fred, turning to greet Corney, who was a bit late in
arriving, but was now dressed ready for business; "down-river, of
course."
"Why do you say 'of course,' Fred?" persisted the other, who always
wanted to understand everything he talked about, and who would go into
details indefinitely until everything was plain. "There's a fine course
up-river. You remember we rushed it with Buck's crowd. And I understand
that it will like as not be made the official course when the great
boat race is pulled off."
"That's true, Corney," Fred continued; "but there are several reasons
why Brad has picked out the other side of the town for all our trial
spins. First of all, you know the big, broad channel the Mohunk has for
three miles between here and Paulding?"
"Sure I do; and a splendid place to make good speed, too," the other
admitted.
"Then, again, if we kept going up the river we'd be apt to interfere
with the practice of the Mechanicsburg fellows, who have no other
course but that one between the two towns."
"And they'd be more apt to get a line on what sort of time we were
making; isn't that so, Fred?"
"Just what I was going to add, Corney. Now you know about all the
reasons Brad has for going down the river to-day, and other days as
well."
"And is it true that he's got a three mile course all marked off?"
asked Corney.
"Brad says he was down there with Colon on their wheels this morning,"
Fred went on to say. "They carried a long tape line, and as the road
runs close to the bank of the river, they marked every eighth of a
mile."
"How did they do it?" questioned the other. "You see I want to be
posted, so I can get a pointer on our speed if I happen to look along
the bank while we're making a spurt."
"That's the time you'd better keep your eyes glued on the coxswain, and
the stroke oar, and not bother trying to find out for yourself what the
speed is. Brad will look out for all that, Corney."
"But if you know, you're going to tell me, I hope?" pursued the
tireless one.
"Oh!" Fred replied, with a laugh, "if you really want to know, I
understand that every eighth of a mile is marked with a single small
white rag; each quarter has a blue one; while the mile shows a plain
red one. I hope some meddlesome fellow doesn't go to changing the
signals on Brad, and make him think he's doing a record stunt. But I
believe he's got some other secret sign of his own to depend on besides
the flags."
He managed to break away just then; and as Corney saw that it was a
very pretty girl who had beckoned Fred over, he made no attempt to
question him further. In fact, Fred would have firmly declined to stay,
because it was Flo Temple who had signalled.
Flo was the prettiest girl in all Riverport. She and Fred had long been
the best of friends. It was he who always took her to singing school in
winter, and to the school dances, sometimes given in country barns,
where a long sleigh ride was necessary to reach the scene.
Once Buck Lemlngton had aspired to keep company, girl and boy fashion,
with Flo. She and Buck used to squabble frequently, and then come
together again for a short time. But with the arrival of Fred Fenton in
town all this had been changed. Which was another reason for the enmity
of Buck toward Fred.
Like some of the other girls Flo waved a little flag which was made of
purple and gold silk, the adopted school colors for Riverport. This she
used to considerable advantage; and Fred thought that when it came up
against her face the contrast with her rosy cheeks and sparkling hazel
eyes made her look prettier than ever.
"I suppose you will be getting away soon now, Fred?" she asked as he
joined her.
"In five minutes we will launch the boat, and be off," he replied; "you
see, all the subs are on hand, and ready to jump in if any one of the
regulars fails to show up, or is taken sick. They'll wait around an
hour or two while we're down-river. When we get back Brad's promised to
take them off for a spin, and some exercise."
"Yes," she remarked, with a merry laugh, "I've been listening to some
of them talking here. They do hope so much, poor fellows, that a chance
will come along to put them on the regular crew. Why, I fairly believe
they'd be happy if some of the rest of you had to leave town on
vacations. But Fred, take care!"
She raised her forefinger as if in warning, and looked about her in
quite a mysterious way when saying these last words in a low tone.
"What about, Flo?" he asked, not at all worried.
"I understand that the other crew went down the river an hour or two
ago," she continued; and he could guess who was meant without asking.
"Well," he answered, "there's plenty of room for half a dozen crews to
practice without interfering with each other. You remember the river
gets very wide between here and Paulding. In fact lots of people always
refer to it as 'the lake.'"
"But it would have to be an ocean that would be wide enough to keep
Buck Lemington from carrying out any of his pet schemes, Fred. And
somehow he seems to have picked on you as his especial enemy. It seems
so strange, when I know you've never gone out of your way to do him the
least harm."
The demure lassie looked at Fred out of the corners of her merry eyes
when she said this, and it was hard for him to refrain from declaring
that she ought to know that Buck's hatred for him began when she
started to bestow her favors on the new boy in Riverport. However, Fred
held himself in, and only remarked:
"It has happened that lots of times Buck and myself have been up
against each other in what should have been friendly rivalry. Because
fortune was generally kind to me, and allowed me to carry off
undeserved honors, he has made up his mind that I'm always trying to do
him out of everything he wants to win. And he never loses a chance to
let me know what he thinks of me."
"You haven't been the one to suffer _very_ much, up to now, Fred, if
half that I hear is true," Flo went on to say, with a pride in her
voice that somehow thrilled the boy, and made him very happy.
"Oh! I've had lots of good luck, I must say. But there's Brad
beckoning, and I'll have to be going, Flo. Will you be here when we get
back?"
"Perhaps," she answered. "I've an invitation to go in Judge Colon's new
auto, to watch the practice from the shore down below. If you happen to
see us waving, why please do your best to give us confidence. They say
those big Mechanicsburg boys are fearfully strong, and can pull a
professional stroke. And they have a coach, too, you know, Fred."
"We're going to have one too after to-day, for Corney's father used to
be on a big college crew, and has consented to train us."
With this Fred had to hurry off, but he turned and waved his hand to
_somebody_ in the crowd just as he took his place, a few minutes later,
in the eight-oared shell; nor did any one seem to doubt for whom the
good-bye signal was intended; at any rate there was an unusual flutter
to Flo Temple's purple and gold flag just about that time.
The crew quickly fell into the swing, and the boat fairly flew
down-stream under their vigorous strokes. Brad, however, was keeping
them down. He did not want to let everybody know just what Riverport
could do. Doubtless more than a few of Mechanicsburg's admirers would
be ready to take every opportunity possible to time the rival crew, so
as to get a pointer with regard to their capacity. That could not be
helped; but Brad was determined to be as cautious as possible.
Soon they were down to the broad stretch, where the little fluttering
rags of various hues close to the edge of the water told the parts of
the mile.
Here the coxswain thought it good policy to increase the stroke, and
they were soon hitting up a lively pace. How splendidly the delicate
boat flew over the water, just for all the world as a swallow skims
along the surface of a pond! The boys were enthusiastic over their
work, and Brad did not hesitate to give them the praise they deserved.
"We'll turn here, and pull up-stream," he said, as they rested for a
few minutes. "That will come harder, and try you more. But it's all a
part of the game. Once more, now, my hearties, with a will!"
They covered the distance up to what Brad had marked as the turning
point, in better time than he had believed possible. A buoy had been
floated to serve as the upper end of the course. Rounding this they
shot down the river with tremendous velocity, as though striving for
victory on the home stretch.
For some reason Brad took them down further than before, so that they
even drew near the sharp bend before he gave the signal to stop rowing.
The boat continued to glide along with the current, though gradually
easing up.
And it was just at that moment, when the young oarsmen of Riverport
were breathing hard after their recent exertions, that they heard a
sudden crash as of splintering wood, immediately accompanied by a
conglomeration of shouts, all in the plain, unmistakable voices of
boys.
Startled, they stared at each other, as if not knowing what to make of
it; and thrilled by the knowledge that danger must be threatening some
fellows around the bend just below.