Page 20 of Captain of the Crew


  CHAPTER XVIII

  DICK SURRENDERS

  “Stroke side, catch the beginning sharper; the boat rolls down on thebow oars. Bow side, keep your hands up! That’s better! Steady now, all;don’t rush forward. Keep your swing long; you’re all rowing too shortin the water!... Every man keep his eyes in the boat. Watch the man infront of you and follow his movements; make a machine of yourself!...You’re out of time again! Listen for the rattle of the locks. Thereought to be but one sound, and I can hear at least five. Use your ears,men!... Stroke, lengthen out, lengthen out; you’re much too short!”

  And Malcolm Kirk, standing in the bow of the little naphtha launchTerrible, took his megaphone from his mouth and motioned to the man incharge. The Terrible swung around in a short swirl of blue water andheaded down-stream, waiting for the shell to make its long turn above.Across the sun-kissed wavelets came the sound of the coxswain’s voice:

  “Easy all!... Three and Bow, paddle. Stroke and Six, back water!...Forward!... Are you ready?... Row!” Then down the river came theboat, looking for all the world like an enormous water-bug, its eightlong legs treading the bosom of the river in unison, or at least inunison so far as the ordinary observer would have been able to judge,but not at all satisfactory in that respect to the motionless figureon the launch. The eight backs bent together and the boat sped pastthe Terrible, which instantly _puff-puffed_ impatiently and started inpursuit, taking up a position off Number Two.

  “Stroke, you’re still too short,” began the coach all over again. “Keepit low and long!... Seven, you bend your arms too soon; swing back withthem perfectly straight; remember, you can’t make them do your work;hard against the stretcher, now!... That’s a bit better.... Six, youstart your slide too soon; I’ve spoken to you of that often enough. Getyour whole body-weight well onto the stroke before you drive your slideaway.... Sit up, Five! Ram that slide back to the limit!... Four, yourbody’s falling out of the boat! Keep your outside leg and hand firm!...Three, drop your hands more so as to get your oar out of the waterclean.... That’s vastly better!... Two, you’re too slow with your handsand too quick with your body. Shoot your hands away lively and turnyour inside wrist sharply; then follow with the body more slowly....Bow, you’re rolling the boat again! Catch the water more sharply!...Time! Time! Listen for the rattle of the oars in the locks, men;you’re beastly ragged!... Stroke, you’re rowing light again! Keep yourhands up to the end!”

  And so on for another half mile, when the boat was again turned andbrought back to the landing, where the second squad were embarkingunder the direction of its coxswain. “Let her run!” cried Keene, andthe first squad lifted their dripping oars from the water and the shellapproached the float silently, easily. “Touch her a bit, Stroke.”Dick’s oar went back into the water and he paddled gently until theboat’s head was brought nearer to the landing. “Easy, Stroke. Mind youroars, bow side!” Then the shell floated alongside, was seized by thoseon the float, and the oars were unlocked. “Stroke!... Bow!... Seven!...Two!... Six!... Three!... Five!... Four!” called the coxswain, and oneby one the crew stepped out. Then the shell was lifted, dripping andshining from the water, and borne into the house. The second squad hadmeanwhile paddled into the stream, and their troubles had begun. Downthe river they went, followed by the inexorable Kirk and the puffingTerrible.

  Dick, weary, out of tune with himself for his sorry work, led the firstsquad off on a short run, down the river-path to the campus, across thegolf links, still too soft for good running, and back by Academy Roadtoward the gymnasium, to baths and rest. And as he trotted along thevoice of the coach echoed continuously in his ears: “_Stroke, you’rerowing light again!_” Anger at his own miserable performance in theboat and an intense loathing for it all seized upon him. Taylor couldhave the job, and welcome! He felt a downright hate of the fellowsbehind him because they had witnessed his degradation. What could theythink, he asked himself, of a captain who had been cautioned four timesfor the same fault in a half-hour’s work? How could they--what hadbeen Trevor’s words? Look up? Yes--how could they look up to such acaptain? Hang them! What did he care what they thought of him? A packof selfish, half-hearted idiots, they were! But in the next moment heacknowledged that he did care--a good deal. And with that the squadreached the gymnasium, and Dick pulled himself wearily up the steps. Onthe way across the yard later he encountered Keene.

  “Hope, Kirk asked me to tell you he’d like to have you go over to hisroom this evening after supper if you can. I was on my way to yourroom.”

  “All right; I’ll go. I say, Keene, what did you think of us to-day?”

  One of the coxswain’s virtues was a fondness for plain, direct languageunadorned with verbiage.

  “Rotten!” he answered earnestly. Dick nodded, made a pathetic effortat a smile, and strode on. Keene watched him thoughtfully until hedisappeared into Masters Hall, then he turned and went on his way. “Hewon’t last until the race,” he muttered. “Rowed like a farmer to-day,and looks now as though tired out.”

  Directly after supper Dick walked to the village and found MalcolmKirk in his room at Hutchins’s boarding-house. He was seated beforean open window, his feet on the sill, puffing voluminously at a brierpipe. Upon Dick’s advent he greeted him smilingly and pushed forward anarmchair.

  “Sit down, Hope. It was very good of you to come over. I might havedone the journeying myself and called on you, but I thought we’d have abetter chance of a talk here in my diggings. Rather an off-day, wasn’tit?”

  “Yes.” Dick relapsed into silence after this monosyllabic reply, andKirk occupied himself with his pipe for a moment. Then he faced Dick,with a return to his usual grave aspect.

  “Hope, you’re not looking well. I want you to lay off for a week.You’re stale; I could see that by your work to-day, and your face tellsas much now. We can’t risk you getting laid up, you know.”

  “I feel pretty well,” answered Dick. “But I don’t blame you forthinking I’m stale after the exhibition I made to-day,” he addedbitterly. “I don’t know what got into me; I rowed like a--like a chump!”

  “Well, don’t let that trouble you,” replied Kirk, soothingly. “It’sbound to happen once in a while; I never saw a crew captain yet thatdidn’t go off his work for a bit at some stage in the game; in fact, Ishould be rather afraid of one that didn’t; I should think he was likethe Sunday-school books--too good to be true. How’s your appetite?”

  “Pretty fair.”

  “Sleep well?”

  “Not very.”

  “Why?”

  “Because---- Oh, I suppose it’s because of the wretched state thingsare in.”

  “Crew, you mean?”

  Dick nodded.

  “Well, affairs don’t look bright just at present; I’ll acknowledgethat, Hope; in fact, it’s best to own up to the condition and face itsquarely. But that doesn’t mean that there’s anything to be gained byworrying about it. No, take my advice; do your best, knock off work fora few days, make up your mind that everything’s going to come out rightin the end, and keep whistling. After all--though I wouldn’t say thisto any one but you--there’s not a particle of disgrace in being beaten,not a particle. I don’t want you to imagine that I’ve got it into myhead that we’re going to be beaten; for I haven’t; I’ve seen plenty ofmore hopeless-looking cases than this right themselves when the timecame. But what I mean is that it’s a poor plan to tell yourself thatdefeat is disgraceful; if you believe that you’ll find yourself in acondition for suicide some day; for every chap, no matter who, has gotto face defeat at some time in his life. And the chap that can take adrubbing and come up smiling is the one that is going to be happiestand going to make the most of his life. The only time when defeatbrings disgrace is when you haven’t done your honest best. But I didn’task you over here to listen to a lecture. What do you think of my plan?Will you lay off a while? To-day’s Friday; suppose we say until a weekfrom to-morrow?”

  “All right,” answered Dick dejectedly. ?
??If you think I’d better;though, as far as I’m concerned, I don’t think there’s any necessityfor it.”

  “Of course you don’t; never saw a man who did. But we’ll call it a whimof mine, if you like. Well, that’s settled. Don’t come near the river;don’t talk about rowing, and don’t even think of it if you can help it;take a walk every day, or a run, and do just enough work at the weightsmeanwhile to keep your muscles stretchy. Do you think Crocker will be agood man to put in at stroke while you’re out of it?”

  “Yes,” answered Dick. “You know I had him rowing there during vacation;he did first-rate.”

  “All right. I think we’d better pick the first and second crews nextweek and send them to training-table. It’s rather earlier than lastyear, but then we’re a bit more backward. Now, another thing. Thatfellow Jones is no earthly use in Taylor’s position; in the firstplace, he’s not varsity stuff; in the second place he can’t row to anyremarkable extent, and there isn’t time to start in and teach himthe rudiments of the art at this late day; in short, he’s out of thequestion. And I don’t know of any fellow that I care to try there. Doyou?”

  “Not unless it’s Garvier of the second,” answered Dick. “He’s gotthe weight and he’s hard-working; he pulls a rather good oar, too;only--well, I’m afraid he lacks sand.”

  Kirk nodded and blew a volume of smoke toward the window.

  “I’d thought of Garvier, but your estimate of him is just about mine;as you say, I don’t think he’s got enough grit for Seven. When you comedown to it Seven needs almost as much hard horse-sense, coolness, andjudgment as does Stroke. In fact, the style of the crew depends more onhim than on Stroke. I believe I’d rather put up with a poor Stroke thana poor Number 7. No, decidedly Garvier won’t do. How about Crocker?”

  “He might do, of course, only I think he’s about where he belongs now,don’t you, sir?”

  “Yes, I suppose so, although---- Well, there seems to be but one thingto do.”

  “What’s that?” asked Dick.

  “Get Taylor back. Now wait a moment, Hope. I don’t propose to interferewith you, not a particle.”

  “I hadn’t any such idea,” protested Dick.

  “All right. What I propose to do is to go with you to see this contrarybeggar and make one more appeal to him; and if you say now that you’drather not ask him again--for I can well understand your havingfeeling in the matter--I’ll drop the project and say nothing more aboutit; we’ll fight it out without Taylor. On the other hand, if you arewilling to try again and don’t object to my--well, sticking my fingerinto your pie, as it were, we’ll go together and have it out with him.What do you say?”

  Dick hesitated, and Kirk, without appearing to do so, eyed himintently. Kirk, believing that a quarrel existed between the two boys,imagined that Dick was having a struggle with his vanity. “And,” Kirktold himself, “I sha’n’t blame him if he refuses.” But Dick didn’trefuse. Knowing upon what terms Taylor would alone consent to return totraining, he mentally threw back his shoulders and replied:

  “I think there may be a chance of Taylor’s having reconsidered. ButI think your request would have more weight, and I’d rather thatyou’d ask him. As for your interfering, I hadn’t thought of it; and Ishouldn’t consider it that, sir. If you like we’ll go over and see himnow.”

  “A good idea; no time like the present. Where does he room?”

  “At Coolidge’s.”

  “Coolidge’s? I guess I don’t know that. Is it near here?”

  “Well, not very, it’s almost the last house in the village, I guess;just beyond the Episcopal Church.”

  “Oh, I wasn’t thinking of the walk,” returned Kirk. “I was onlywondering if it was an old house I’d forgotten. But I think it must benew since my day.”

  “It is, I guess; looks as though it hadn’t been up more than a fewyears.”

  Kirk took a walking-stick from a corner, turned down the light, and thetwo left the house together and proceeded through the village, past theTown Hall, the Eagle Tavern, and the church that Dick had mentioned,until a large square frame house loomed up on their left. Dick ledthe way upstairs to Taylor’s room, and found that youth entertainingWaters and another boy, both of whom, however, took their leave atonce. Taylor greeted Dick easily, and the coach respectfully, but wasquite evidently far from being at his ease. His first thought was thatDick had confided everything to Kirk, and that there was trouble ahead.But the coach’s introduction dispelled that illusion, and he breathedeasier.

  “Taylor, Hope and I have come to ask your help,” announced Kirk,smiling but earnest. “To put the matter in few words, we’re in a hardway for a man at Number 7 in the varsity boat, and we want you toreconsider your decision and come back.”

  It is unnecessary to follow Kirk’s argument; he said practically whatDick had said on the occasions of his two previous visits, althoughhe said it all a trifle more forcibly, and with a suggestion ofauthority. And when he had finished, Taylor, who seemed greatlyimpressed, turned toward Dick.

  “I hadn’t thought of it in just that way, sir,” he said, with anassumption of frankness, “and if Hope wants me to return I’ll do so.”

  “Hope’s wishes are the same as mine,” answered Kirk gravely. “I haveacted in the matter only with his full consent.”

  But Taylor’s eyes were still on Dick, and he awaited that youth’sreply. Now that the moment had come to relinquish his honors Dickexperienced a moment of revolt. He well knew what Taylor’s words meant;he was to be held to the terms of the offer made on his last visit.It was hardly fair, to be sure, since, with Kirk present, there wasbut one reply he could make. But after the first twinge of regret hewas glad that it was so; the matter had been settled for him. He wouldresign the captaincy and Taylor should have it; he would still row inthe boat, and, when the success of the crew was at stake, his sacrificewas but little after all. All this passed through his mind in thefraction of a second, and it was with but the slightest hesitation thathe met Taylor’s look, and smiled across at him. The smile was promptedby relief and not by friendship; but this Kirk could not know, and sowas heartily glad to see it; and concluded thereby that the quarrelbetween the two lads was at an end.

  “Yes,” said Dick, “I want you to come back. I’ve never wanted anythingelse.”

  “Do you mean that?” questioned Taylor’s eyes.

  “I do,” answered Dick’s.

  Kirk arose. “That’s settled, then, and I’m very glad. I don’t thinkyou’ll regret it, Taylor. And I’ll look for you to-morrow afternoon,shall I?”

  “Yes, sir.” He accompanied them down to the door courteously, and badethem good-night smilingly from the stoop. When the two reached thestreet Kirk heaved a sigh of relief.

  “That’s over with,” he muttered.

  “Yes,” echoed Dick, “it’s over.”

  But Taylor didn’t report for crew work on the following afternoon.Instead, a message came saying that he had fallen while coming out ofchapel, and had sprained his right knee. And Dick, wistfully watchingthe distant boat from his window, wondered whether Fate had changed itsmind.