Captain of the Crew

  CHAPTER VII

  TREVOR’S VICTORY

  “I don’t like Taylor’s letting ’Is ’Ighness creep up on him that way,”objected Williams. “He was napping; and he’ll need every foot he canget before the race is over.”

  “Nesbitt’s doing some head-work,” answered Dick, with a note ofadmiration in his voice, “and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him getthe best of Taylor yet. If he can keep up---- Look there!”

  Trevor was at his former tactics. Just as Taylor reached the secondcorner the upper middle boy fairly threw himself forward, and ere thesenior runner had taken alarm had closed up with him until a mere sixyards intervened. The upper middle fellows howled with delight, and theseniors, striving to hide their dismay, cheered lustily. Taylor’s facewore a scowl as he increased his speed and strove to regain his lostlead.

  But Trevor held what he had taken, took his pace from Taylor, and withnever a look to right or left, kept doggedly at the other’s heels. Thefourth lap started in a veritable pandemonium. Taylor was now but ascant ten yards in the lead, and those who saw Trevor’s calm, intentgaze fastened upon the other boy’s shoulders realized that, barring amishap such as had fallen to the lot of Kernan, he would, if he did notactually win, at least finish so close behind Taylor as to make therace one of the closest ever witnessed at Hillton, indoors or out.

  This time Taylor was on the lookout, and when Trevor spurted wasready for him and so held his advantage. Trevor was well satisfied,for he had no wish to pass Taylor at that time, but only to tire andworry him. His spurt lasted until the line was again crossed. And nowTaylor took the initiative and increased his speed, for, as Trevor hadexpected, the short spurts had made him nervous. But shake off hispursuer he could not, and with the lap half run but five yards laybetween the two.

  “He’s a silly chump!” shouted Todd angrily, glaring across at thespeeding senior runner. “Why doesn’t he keep that for the last lap;can’t he see he’s begun to spurt too early?”

  “I have an idea that Trevor Nesbitt’s got him scared,” answered Dick.

  “You just bet he has; he’s worried to death!” This from Williams, whowas scowling blackly. “He deserves to lose it.”

  “And Nesbitt deserves to win it,” said Dick.

  “Humph! You seem to have changed your tune!”

  Dick accepted the gibe good-naturedly.

  “I have; I think Nesbitt’s the headiest youngster I’ve seen in a longwhile, and as for Taylor----”

  The bell clanged loudly, announcing the beginning of the last lap, andevery fellow in the balcony was on his feet in the instant. As he tookthe first turn Taylor glanced hurriedly back and met the unwaveringand, as it seemed to him, relentless stare of Trevor, and putting everyeffort into his work again increased his pace. Everybody was shoutingnow, but as the two runners passed under the seniors’ balcony one voicesounded more loudly than all:

  “Good work, Nesbitt!”

  And Trevor heard it and recognized Dick Hope’s voice, and for aninstant a smile crossed his face. Then the second incline was underhis feet, and he had to use care lest he trip. But he got safely over,and now the time for his final effort had come. Into the back-stretchhe sped, and the watchers held their breath, for foot by foot the lostground was being eaten up by his flying feet. Then a burst of applauseshook the rafters and Taylor, running despairingly, heard the otherlad’s feet at his side, strove to goad his wearied limbs into fasterstrides, and found with dismay at his heart that he had reached hislimit.

  At the third corner Trevor with a final effort leaped into the lead,hugging the inside of the track. At the last corner he was a yard tothe good, and from there down to the finish line, where Kernan andChalmers and Johnston leaped frantically about the floor, he held hisvantage, and so toppled over into eager, outspread arms, aching,breathless, and weak, but winner of the race. And as he stretchedhimself gratefully on the mattress he heard the timekeeper announce:

  “Last quarter, fifty-seven and one fifth; the mile, three forty-eightand two fifths.”

  When Trevor reached his room he found Dick seated in front of the fire,a Latin text-book face downward in his lap, his arms over his head,and his eyes closed. The fire was almost out, and the room was chilly.Trevor as silently as possible placed another log in the grate, and,disappearing into the bedroom, came out again with his dressing-gown,which after a moment’s hesitation he spread over the sleeper’s knees.Then he doffed his coat and cap, and standing by the fireplace heldhis chilled hands to the blaze and looked down at Dick. And as helooked he fell to wondering why it was that he and his roommate goton together so badly. It was not _his_ fault, he told himself; he hadtried every way he knew to thaw Dick’s indifference. It was now tendays since the winter term had commenced, and the two boys were asmuch strangers to each other as they had been after Trevor’s burst ofconfidence on their first night together. Trevor often regretted thatconfidence; he sometimes thought that he had bored Dick with his familyphotographs and history, and remembered with a flush that his roommatehad never responded in like manner. Of course, his cheekiness on thestage-coach during that unfortunate drive had been the primary causeof Dick’s dislike; and Trevor couldn’t blame the latter for takingumbrage; only--well, he had apologized and explained, and it seemedthat the other ought to be willing to forgive. It was not that Dick wasnasty; he treated Trevor with good-humored politeness; fact was, Trevorreflected dubiously, Dick was altogether too polite; his politeness wasof the sort which he imagined a judge might display toward the prisonerin the dock. He wished that Dick would throw a boot at him so that theycould have it out and come to an understanding.

  Dick moved restlessly and opened his eyes. His gaze encounteredTrevor’s and he smiled sleepily and stretched himself. Then he sat upand looked about him perplexedly.

  “Well, if I didn’t go to sleep!” he said. “What time is it?”

  Trevor glanced at the battered alarm-clock on the table. “Ten minutesof twelve,” he answered.

  Dick yawned and suddenly spied the dressing-gown. He pulled it towardhim and looked at it in astonishment.

  “What----?”

  Trevor flushed as he answered hurriedly: “It was so bally chilly herewhen I came in, you know; and I thought that maybe you’d catch cold. SoI threw that over you. Just pitch it on the floor there.”

  “Thanks,” said Dick. “I expect it was chilly. I was going to putanother stick on the fire, and while I was thinking about it I supposeI fell asleep. It’s pretty late, isn’t it? Well, to-morrow’s Sunday.”

  He arose and the two began to prepare for bed. There was something inDick’s tone and manner quite friendly, and Trevor was puzzled.

  “That was a great race you ran, Nesbitt,” said the former presently.

  “The last one wasn’t so bad,” answered Trevor.

  “Bad! It was fine!” replied Dick warmly. “It was the best bit ofhead-work I’ve seen on a track. And I was glad you beat Taylor, even ifit did mean the loss of the race to the seniors. But I rather think Iliked the first race better.”

  “Well, of course you would,” said Trevor. “Earle’s a friend of yours;and he ran a good race. I--I didn’t much mind his beating; he seemslike a jolly good sort of a chap.”

  “He is a good chap; and I know it pleased him like anything to win thatrace, because his father and mother were there, you see.”

  “Yes.”

  “It would have been too bad if he’d lost it, wouldn’t it?” Dick wassmiling rather queerly, Trevor thought.

  “I suppose it would,” he answered.

  “Yes; and so you gave it to him.”

  “What--what do you mean?” stammered Trevor, very red and uncomfortable.

  “Why,” laughed Dick, “just what I said. You’re not going to deny thatyou slowed down and let him win, are you?”

  For a long moment Trevor was very busy with his nightshirt, whichsuddenly exhibited an unwonted dislike to going on. Then:

  “I fancy there’s no use denying
it,” he muttered from the folds of themutinous garment.

  “Not a bit,” answered Dick smilingly.

  “You see,” explained Trevor presently, “Earle had set his heart onwinning, and it didn’t mean anything to me, you know; I hadn’t anyrelatives looking on; and then his mother was so--so jolly nice aboutit, and his father, and--and all, that I just thought he might as wellwin. Doesn’t it--don’t you think it was all right?”

  “Well, it wasn’t exactly fair, you know; but I guess it was somethingeven better,” answered Dick.

  “Do you think Earle suspected anything?”

  “I’m sure I don’t know; I didn’t see him. But Williams and Todd, whowere sitting with me, thought it was a straight race, and so I guessEarle thought so too.”

  Later, when the lights were out and the two were in bed, Dick broke thesilence.

  “Are you awake, Nesbitt?”

  “Yes,” came the reply from across the darkness.

  “I’ve been thinking I’d take a good, long walk to-morrow after church;up the river toward Port Wallace. Like to go along?”

  “I should say so!” was the hearty reply.

  “All right, I wish you would. Good-night.”

  “Good-night,” answered Trevor. Then, as he burrowed his headcontentedly in the pillow, he thought: “I fancy it’s all right now, andhe won’t have to throw that boot after all!”