Within a day or two of the penning of this celebrated epistle,
which created quite a sensation in the sixth-form room as it went
the round after tea, Tom realized one of the objects of his young
Oxford ambition, and succeeded in embarking on the river in a
skiff by himself, with such results as are now described. He had
already been down several times in pair-oar and four-oar boats,
with an old oar to pull stroke, and another to steer and coach
the young idea, but he was not satisfied with these essays. He
could not believe that he was such a bad oar as the old hands'
made him out to be, and thought that it must be the fault of the
other freshmen who were learning with him that the boat made so
little way and rolled so much. He had been such a proficient in
all the Rugby games, that he couldn't realize the fact of his
unreadiness in a boat. Pulling looked a simple thing enough--much
easier than tennis; and he had made a capital start at the latter
game, and been highly complimented by the marker after his first
hour in the little court. He forgot that cricket and fives are
capital training for tennis, but that rowing is a speciality, of
the rudiments of which he was wholly ignorant. And so, in full
confidence that, if he could only have a turn or two alone, he
should not only satisfy himself, but everybody else, that he was
a heaven-born oar, he refused all offers of companionship, and
started on the afternoon of a fine February day down to the boats
for his trial trip. He had watched his regular companions well
out of college, and gave them enough start to make sure that they
would be off before he himself could arrive at St. Ambrose's
dressing room at Hall's, and chuckled, as he came within sight of
the river, to see the freshmen's boat in which he generally
performed, go plunging away past the University barge, keeping
three different times with four oars, and otherwise demeaning
itself so as to become an object of mirthful admiration to all
beholders.
Tom was punted across to Hall's in a state of great content,
which increased when, in answer to his casual inquiry, the
managing man informed him that not a man of his college was about
the place. So he ordered a skiff with as much dignity and
coolness as he could command, and hastened up stairs to dress. He
appeared again, carrying his boating coat and cap. They were
quite new, so he would not wear them; nothing about him should
betray the freshman on this day if he could help it.
"Is my skiff ready?"
"All right, sir; this way, sir;" said the manager, conducting him
to a good, safe-looking craft. "Any gentleman going to steer,
sir?"
"No" said Tom, superciliously; "You may take out the rudder."
"Going quite alone, sir? Better take one of our boys--find you a
very light one. Here, Bill!"--and he turned to summons a juvenile
waterman to take charge of our hero.
"Take out the rudder, do you hear?" interrupted Tom. "I won't
have a steerer."
"Well, sir, as you please," said the manager, proceeding to
remove the degrading appendage. "The river's rather high, please
to remember, sir. You must mind the mill stream at Iffley Lock. I
suppose you can swim?"
"Yes, of course," said Tom, settling himself on his cushion.
"Now, shove her off."
The next moment he was well out in the stream, and left to his
own resources. He got his sculls out successfully enough, and,
though feeling by no means easy on his seat, proceeded to pull
very deliberately past the barges, stopping his sculls in the air
to feather accurately, in the hopes of deceiving spectators into
the belief that he was an old hand just going out for a gentle
paddle. The manager watched him for a minute, and turned to his
work with an aspiration that he might not come to grief.
But no thought of grief was on Tom's mind as he dropped gently
down, impatient for the time when he should pass the mouth of the
Cherwell, and so, having no longer critical eyes to fear, might
put out his whole strength, and give himself at least if not the
world, assurance of a waterman.
The day was a very fine one, a bright sun shining, and a nice
fresh breeze blowing across the stream, but not enough to ruffle
the water seriously. Some heavy storms up Gloucestershire way had
cleared the air, and swollen the stream at the same time; in
fact, the river was as full as it could be without overflowing
its banks--a state in which, of all others, it is the least safe
for boating experiments. Fortunately, in those days there were no
outriggers. Even the racing skiffs were comparatively safe craft,
and would now be characterized as tubs; while the real tubs (in
one of the safest of which the prudent manager had embarked our
hero) were of such build that it required considerable ingenuity
actually to upset them.
If any ordinary amount of bungling could have done it, Tom's
voyage would have terminated within a hundred yards of the
Cherwell. While he had been sitting quiet and merely paddling,
and almost letting the stream carry him down, the boat had
trimmed well enough; but now, taking a long breath, he leaned
forward, and dug his sculls into the water, pulling them through
with all his strength. The consequence of this feat was that the
handles of the sculls came into violent collision in the middle
of the boat, the knuckles of his right hand were barked, his left
scull unshipped, and the head of his skiff almost blown round by
the wind before he could restore order on board.
"Never mind; try again," thought he, after the first sensation of
disgust had passed off, and a glance at the shore showed him that
there were no witnesses. "Of course, I forgot one hand must go
over the other. It might have happened to anyone. Let me see,
which hand shall I keep uppermost; the left, that's the weakest."
And away he went again, keeping his newly-acquired fact painfully
in mind, and so avoiding further collision amidships for four or
five strokes. But, as in other sciences, the giving of undue
prominence to one fact brings others inexorably on the head of
the student to avenge his neglect of them, so it happened with
Tom in his practical study of the science of rowing that by
thinking of his hands he forgot his seat, and the necessity of
trimming properly. Whereupon the old tub began to rock fearfully,
and the next moment, he missed the water altogether with his
right scull, and subsided backwards, not without struggles, into
the bottom of the boat; while the half stroke which he had pulled
with his left hand sent her head well into the bank.
Tom picked himself up, and settled himself on his bench again, a
sadder and wiser man, as the truth began to dawn upon him that
pulling, especially sculling, does not, like reading and writing,
come by nature. However, he addressed himself manfully to his
task; savage indeed, and longing to drive a hole in the bottom of
the old tub, but as resolved as ever to get to Sandford and back
before hall time, or perish in the attempt.
He shoved himself off the bank, and warned by his last mishap,
got out into mid stream, and there, moderating his ardor, and
contenting himself with a slow and steady stroke, was progressing
satisfactorily, and beginning to recover his temper, when a loud
shout startled him; and, looking over his shoulder at the
imminent risk of an upset, he beheld the fast sailor the Dart,
close hauled on a wind, and almost aboard of him. Utterly
ignorant of what was the right thing to do, he held on his
course, and passed close under the bows of the miniature cutter,
the steersman having jammed his helm hard down, shaking her in
the wind, to prevent running over the skiff, and solacing himself
with pouring maledictions on Tom and his craft, in which the man
who had hold of the sheets, and the third, who was lounging in
the bows, heartily joined. Tom was out of ear-shot before he had
collected vituperation enough to hurl back at them, and was,
moreover, already in the difficult navigation of the Gut, where,
notwithstanding all his efforts, he again ran aground; but, with
this exception, he arrived without other mishap at Iffley, where
he lay on his sculls with much satisfaction, and shouted,
"Lock--lock!"
The lock-keeper appeared to the summons, but instead of opening
the gates seized a long boat-hook, and rushed towards our hero,
calling upon him to mind the mill-stream, and pull his right-hand
scull; notwithstanding which warning, Tom was within an ace of
drifting past the entrance to the lock, in which case assuredly
his boat, if not he, had never returned whole. However, the
lock-keeper managed to catch the stern of his skiff with the
boat-hook, and drag him back into the proper channel, and then
opened the lock-gates for him. Tom congratulated himself as he
entered the lock that there were no other boats going through
with him; but his evil star was in the ascendant, and all things,
animate and inanimate, seemed to be leagued together to humiliate
him. As the water began to fall rapidly, he lost his hold of the
chain and the tub instantly drifted across the lock, and was in
imminent danger of sticking and breaking her back, when the
lock-keeper again came to the rescue with his boat-hook and,
guessing the state of the case, did not quit him until he had
safely shoved him and his boat well out into the pool below, with
an exhortation to mind and go outside of the barge which was
coming up.
Tom started on the latter half of his outward voyage with the
sort of look which Cato must have worn when he elected the losing
side, and all the gods went over to the winning one. But his
previous struggles had not been thrown away, and he managed to
keep the right side of the barge, turn the corner without going
around, and zigzag down Kennington reach, slowly indeed, but with
much labor, but at any rate safely. Rejoicing in his feat, he
stopped at the island, and recreated himself with a glass of
beer, looking now hopefully towards Sandford, which lay within
easy distance, now upwards again along the reach which he had
just overcome, and solacing himself with the remembrance of a
dictum, which he had heard from a great authority, that it was
always easier to steer up stream than down, from which he argued
that the worst part of his trial trip was now over.
Presently he saw a skiff turn the corner at the top of the
Kennington reach, and, resolving in his mind to get to Sandford
before the new comer, paid for his beer, and betook himself again
to his tub. He got pretty well off, and, the island shutting out
his unconscious rival from his view, worked away at first under
the pleasing delusion that he was holding his own. But he was
soon undeceived, for in monstrously short time the pursuing skiff
showed around the corner and bore down on him. He never relaxed
his efforts, but could not help watching the enemy as he came up
with him hand over hand, and envying the perfect ease with which
he seemed to be pulling his long steady stroke and the precision
with which he steered, scarcely ever casting a look over his
shoulder. He was hugging the Berkshire side himself, as the other
skiff passed him, and thought he heard the sculler say something
about keeping out, and minding the small lasher; but the noise of
the waters and his own desperate efforts prevented his heeding,
or, indeed, hearing the warning plainly. In another minute,
however, he heard plainly enough most energetic shouts behind him
and, turning his head over his right shoulder, saw the man who
had just passed him backing his skiff rapidly up stream towards
him. The next moment he felt the bows of his boat whirl round,
the old tub grounded for a moment, and then, turning over on her
side, shot him out on to the planking of the steep descent into
the small lasher. He grasped at the boards, but they were too
slippery to hold, and the rush of water was too strong for him,
and rolling him over and over like a piece of driftwood, plunged
him into the pool below.
After the first moment of astonishment and fright was over, Tom
left himself to the stream, holding his breath hard, and paddling
gently with his hands, feeling sure that, if he could only hold
on, he should come to the surface sooner or later; which
accordingly happened after a somewhat lengthy submersion.
His first impulse on rising to the surface, after catching his
breath, was to strike out for the shore, but, in the act of doing
so, he caught sight of the other skiff coming stern foremost down
the decent after him, and he trod the water and drew in his
breath to watch. Down she came, as straight as an arrow, into the
tumult below; the sculler sitting upright, and holding his sculls
steadily in the water. For a moment she seemed to be going under,
but righted herself, and glided swiftly into the still water; and
then the sculler cast a hasty and anxious glance around, till his
eyes rested on our hero's half-drowned head.
"Oh, there you are!" he said, looking much relieved; "all right,
I hope. Not hurt, eh?"
"No, thankee; all right, I believe," answered Tom. "What shall I
do?"
"Swim ashore; I'll look after your boat." So Tom took the advice,
swam ashore, and there stood dripping and watching the other as
he righted the old tub which was floating quietly bottom upwards,
little the worse for the mishap, and no doubt, if boats can wish,
earnestly desiring in her wooden mind to be allowed to go quietly
to pieces then and there, sooner to be rescued than be again
entrusted to the guidance of freshmen.
The tub having been brought to the bank, the stranger started
again, and collected the sculls and bottom boards which were
floating about here and there in the pool, and also succeeded in
making salvage of Tom's coat, the pockets of which held his
watch, purse, and cigar case. These he brought to the bank, and
delivering them over, inquired whether there was anything else to
look after.
"Thank you, no; nothing but my cap. Never mind it. It's luck
enough not to have lost the coat," said Tom, holding up the
dripping garment to let the water run out of the arms and
pocket-holes, and then wringing it as well as he could. "At any
rate," thought he, "I needn't be afraid of its looking too new
any more."
The stranger put off again, and made one more round, searching
for the cap and anything else which he might have overlooked, but
without success. While he was doing so, Tom had time to look him
well over, and see what sort of a man had come to his rescue. He
hardly knew at the time the full extent of his obligation--at
least if this sort of obligation is to be reckoned not so much by
the service actually rendered, as by the risk encountered to be
able to render it. There were probably not three men in the
University who would have dared to shoot the lasher in a skiff in
its then state, for it was in those times a really dangerous
place; and Tom himself had an extraordinary escape, for, as
Miller, the St. Ambrose coxswain, remarked on hearing the story,
"No one who wasn't born to be hung could have rolled down it
without knocking his head against something hard, and going down
like lead when he got to the bottom."
He was very well satisfied with his inspection. The other man was
evidently a year or two older than himself, his figure was more
set, and he had stronger whiskers than are generally grown at
twenty. He was somewhere about five feet ten in height, very
deep-chested, and with long powerful arms and hands. There was no
denying, however, that at the first glance he was an ugly man; he
was marked with small-pox, had large features, high cheekbones,
deeply set eyes, and a very long chin; and had got the trick
which many underhung men have of compressing his upper lip.
Nevertheless, there was that in his face which hit Tom's fancy,
and made him anxious to know his rescuer better. He had an
instinct that good was to be gotten out of him. So he was very
glad when the search was ended, and the stranger came to the
bank, shipped his sculls, and jumped out with the painter of his
skiff in his hand, which he proceeded to fasten to an old stump,
while he remarked--
"I'm afraid the cap's lost."
"It doesn't matter the least. Thank you for coming to help me; it
was very kind indeed, and more than I expected. Don't they say
that one Oxford man will never save another from drowning unless
they have been introduced?"
"I don't know," replied the other; "are you sure you're not
hurt?"
"Yes, quite," said Tom, foiled in what he considered an artful
plan to get the stranger to introduce himself.
"Then we're very well out of it," said the other, looking at the
steep descent into the lasher, and the rolling tumbling rush of
the water below.
"Indeed we are," said Tom; "but how in the world did you manage
not to upset?"
"I hardly know myself--I had shipped a good deal of water, you
see. Perhaps I ought to have jumped out on the bank and come
across to you, leaving my skiff in the river, for if I had upset
I couldn't have helped you much. However, I followed my instinct,
which was to come the quickest way. I thought, too, that if I
could manage to get down in the boat I should be of more use. I
am very glad I did it," he added after a moment's pause; "I'm
really proud of having come down that place."
"So ain't I," said Tom, with a laugh, in which the other joined.
"But now you're getting chilled," and he turned from the lasher
and looked at Tom's chattering jaws.
"Oh, it's nothing. I'm used to being wet."
"But you may just as well be comfortable if you can. Here's this
rough Jersey which I use instead of a coat; pull off that wet
cotton affair, and put it on, and then we'll get to work, for we
have plenty to do."
After a little persuasion Tom did as he was bid, and got into the
great woolen garment, which was very comforting; and then the two
set about getting their skiffs back into the main stream. This
was comparatively easy as to the lighter skiff, which was soon
baled out and hauled by main force on to the bank, carried across
and launched again. The tub gave them much more trouble, for she
was quite full of water and very heavy; but after twenty minutes
or so of hard work, during which the mutual respect of the
labourers for the strength and willingness of each other was much
increased, she also lay in the main stream, leaking considerably,
but otherwise not much the worse for her adventure.
"Now what do you mean to do?" said the stranger. "I don't think
you can pull home in her. One doesn't know how much she may be
damaged. She may sink in the lock, or play any prank."
"But what am I to do with her?"
"Oh, you can leave her at Sandford and walk up, and send one of
Hall's boys after her. Or, if you like, I will tow her up behind
my skiff."
"Won't your skiff carry two?"
"Yes; if you like to come I'll take you, but you must sit very
quiet."
"Can't we go down to Sandford first and have a glass of ale? What
time is it?--the water has stopped my watch."
"A quarter past three. I have about twenty minutes to spare."
"Come along, then," said Tom; "but will you let me pull your
skiff down to Sandford? I resolved to pull to Sandford to-day,
and don't like to give it up."
"By all means, if you like," said the other, with a smile; "jump
in, and I'll walk along the bank."
"Thank you," said Tom, hurrying into the skiff, in which he
completed the remaining quarter of a mile, while the owner walked
by the side, watching him.
They met on the bank at the little inn by Sandford lock, and had
a glass of ale, over which Tom confessed that it was the first
time he had ever navigated a skiff by himself, and gave a
detailed account of his adventures, to the great amusement of his
companion. And by the time they rose to go, it was settled, at
Tom's earnest request, that he should pull the sound skiff up,
while his companion sat in the stern and coached him. The other
consented very kindly, merely stipulating that he himself should
take the sculls, if it should prove that Tom could not pull them
up in time for hall dinner. So they started, and took the tub in
tow when they came up to it. Tom got on famously under his new
tutor, who taught him to get forward, and open his knees
properly, and throw his weight on to the sculls at the beginning
of the stroke. He managed even to get into Iffley lock on the way
up without fouling the gates, and was then and there complimented
on his progress. Whereupon, as they sat, while the lock filled,
Tom poured out his thanks to his tutor for his instruction, which
had been given so judiciously that, while he was conscious of
improving at every stroke, he did not feel that the other was
asserting any superiority over him; and so, though more humble
than at the most disastrous period of his downward voyage, he was
getting into a better temper every minute.
It is a great pity that some of our instructors in more important
matters than sculling will not take a leaf out of the same book.
Of course, it is more satisfactory to one's own self-love to make
everyone who comes to one to learn, feel that he is a fool, and
we wise men; but if our object is to teach well and usefully what
we know ourselves there cannot be a worse method. No man,
however, is likely to adopt it, so long as he is conscious that
he has anything himself to learn from his pupils; and as soon as
he has arrived at the conviction that they can teach him
nothing--that it is henceforth to be all give and no take--the
sooner he throws up his office of teacher, the better it will be
for himself, his pupils, and his country, whose sons he is
misguiding.
On their way up, so intent were they on their own work that it
was not until shouts of "Hello, Brown! how did you get there?
Why, you said you were not going down today," greeted them just
above the Gut, that they were aware of the presence of the
freshmen's four-oar of St. Ambrose College, which had with some
trouble succeeded in overtaking them.
"I said I wasn't going down with _you_," shouted Tom, grinding
away harder than ever, that they might witness and wonder at his
prowess.
"Oh, I dare say! Whose skiff are you towing up? I believe you've
been upset."
Tom made no reply, and the four-oar floundered on ahead.
"Are you at St. Ambrose's?" asked his sitter, after a minute.
"Yes; that's my treadmill, that four-oar. I've been down in it
almost every day since I came up, and very poor fun it is. So I
thought to-day I would go on my own hook, and see if I couldn't
make a better hand of it. And I have too, I know, thanks to you."
The other made no remark, but a little shade came over his face.
He had no chance of making out Tom's college, as the new cap
which would have betrayed him had disappeared in the lasher. He
himself wore a glazed straw hat, which was of no college; so that
up to this time neither of them had known to what college the
other belonged.
When they landed at Hall's, Tom was at once involved in a wrangle
with the manager as to the amount of damage done to the tub;
which the latter refused to assess before he knew what had
happened to it; while our hero vigorously and with reason
maintained, that if he knew his business it could not matter what
had happened to the boat. There she was, and he must say whether
she was better or worse, or how much worse than when she started.
In the middle of which dialogue his new acquaintance, touching
his arm, said, "You can leave my jersey with your own things; I
shall get it to-morrow," and then disappeared.
Tom, when he had come to terms with his adversary, ran upstairs,
expecting to find the other, and meaning to tell his name, and
find out who it was that had played the good Samaritan by him. He
was much annoyed when he found the coast clear, and dressed in a
grumbling humour. "I wonder why he should have gone off so quick.
He might just as well have stayed and walked up with me," thought
he. "Let me see, though; didn't he say I was to leave his Jersey
in our room, with my own things? Why, perhaps he is a St. Ambrose
man himself. But then he would have told me so, surely. I don't
remember to have seen his face in chapel or hall; but then there
is such a lot of new faces, and he may not sit near me. However I
mean to find him out before long, whoever he may be." With which
resolve Tom crossed in the punt into Christ's Church meadow, and
strolled college-wards, feeling that he had had a good hard
afternoon's exercise, and was much the better for it. He might
have satisfied his curiosity at once by simply asking the manager
who it was that had arrived with him; and this occurred to him
before he got home, whereat he felt satisfied, but would not go
back then, as it was so near hall time. He would be sure to
remember it the first thing tomorrow.
As it happened, however, he had not so long to wait for the
information which he needed; for scarcely had he sat down in hall
and ordered his dinner, when he caught sight of his boating
acquaintance, who walked in habited in a gown which Tom took for
a scholar's. He took his seat at a little table in the middle of
the hall, near the bachelors' table, but quite away from the rest
of the undergraduates, at which sat four or five other men in
similar gowns. He either did not or would not notice the looks of
recognition which Tom kept firing at him until he had taken his
seat.
"Who is that man that has just come in, do you know?" said Tom to
his next neighbour, a second term man.
"Which?" said the other, looking up.
"That one over at the little table in the middle of the hall,
with the dark whiskers. There, he has just turned rather from us,
and put his arm on the table."
"Oh, his name is Hardy."
"Do you know him?"
"No; I don't think anybody does. They say he is a clever fellow,
but a very queer one."
"Why does he sit at that table!"
"He is one of our servitors; they all sit there together."
"Oh," said Tom, not much wiser for the information, but resolved
to waylay Hardy as soon as the hall was over, and highly
delighted to find that they were after all of the same college;
for he had already begun to find out, that however friendly you
may be with out-college men, you must live chiefly with those of
your own. But now his scout brought his dinner, and he fell to
with the appetite of a freshman on his ample commons.