CHAPTER XX--THE EIGHT-OARED SHELL
Laura Belding was not of a revengeful nature. She hadn't even BobbyHargrew's desire to "get even" with an enemy. But the mystery of whathad happened to her in the haunted house troubled her mind.
Once Jess had mentioned that she thought she had seen Hester Grimes takean electric car for the city the night of the M. O. R. scare atRobinson's Woods. Laura could not help wondering what Hester had beendoing up there.
The auto veil Laura had brought back with her was ecru-colored, and wasan expensive one. It was strange that anybody should have left such athing up there in the old house. Not many girls, at least, could haveafforded to purchase such a costly veil and then throw it away.
The Grimeses often hired a car; but then, plenty of girls Laura knewwore automobile veils who had never ridden in a car! It was merely afashion in apparel. So she kept silent about the veil--never evenmentioned it to her chum, or to her brother, or to Lance Darby--and bidedher time.
The basket-ball game had made the remainder of the team very angry withHester Grimes. Only Lily Pendleton stood by her. Hester declared toeverybody who would listen that the "game was fixed" and that theCentral High team had no chance of winning.
"I guess that's so," said Bobby Hargrew, who overheard Hester say this."You fixed it all right. I watched you. You'd queer anything you wentinto. It's lucky you're not rowing in the eight-oared shell. We'd haveless chance of winning the girls' boat race than we have, if you were!"
"Well, Miss, they certainly cannot accuse _you_ of harming their chancesof winning," snapped Hester Grimes. "You're out of it!"
And that was so! The girls' eight-oared shell was without its littlecoxswain. Bertha Sleigel could not manipulate the steering apparatus ofthe long boat as Bobby had. And the boat races--rather an informal affairpreceding the mid-summer aquatic sports--would come on in a fortnightnow.
Bobby Hargrew had been very good in school for some weeks. Even Gee Geecould find no fault with her behavior. But it was more on Laura'saccount than for any other reason that the irrepressible held herselfin. She did not forget that Laura had interceded with Mr. Sharp for her.
The eight-oared crew was to use a second-hand boat; they owned no boatof their own, but hoped to purchase one, or have one presented to them,before the mid-summer sports on Lake Luna.
Professor Dimp, who coached the boys, having been a famous stroke in hisown college, coached the girls as well. He was a very severedisciplinarian; but he had picked the crew for the big shell withjudgment and skill.
And to make up a crew is no small matter. As far as physicalconformation goes in the choice of a crew for an eight-oared scull, tallgirls were preferable to short, well built to thin, and heavy girls to"feather-weights." Saving in the cox, the girls were all chosen fortheir mature physique and long arms.
And Professor Dimp chose the crew and selected their positions with asmuch care as he gave to his boys' crew. One cannot take enthusiasticgirls hap-hazard and make a winning crew.
First of all the professor chose Celia Prime for stroke oar. Scores ofgirls can follow time, or stroke, after practice; but some who make thebest rowers could never in this world "set the stroke" for a crew. Celiaproved herself to be an accomplished stroke, with first-rate form, greatpluck, and not easily confused. She could maintain the same number ofequally well rowed strokes, whether rapid, medium, or slow; and shecould spurt when necessary without throwing the rest of the crew intodisorder.
At Number 7 a well-tried oarsman is needed, too, and the professorselected Laura Belding for that onerous position. Number 7 is supposedto take up the stroke duly and to give finish to the action of the crew.A crew that does not work in perfect unison cannot by any possibility bea winning crew.
As selected by Professor Dimp, the girls' crew was as follows:
Celia Prime, stroke Laura Belding, No. 7 Dora Lockwood, No. 6 Nellie Agnew, No. 5 Roberta Fish, No. 4 Mary O'Rourke, No. 3 Dorothy Lockwood, No. 2 Jess Morse, bow.
They missed Bobby Hargrew dreadfully; but the crew practised asfrequently as possible, hoping to break Bertha in as coxswain, and gether seat shifted to the best place possible for the balancing of theboat. But Bertha was not like Bobby--and she was pounds heavier!
The eight-oared shell of the girls of Central High would compete withsimilar boats from both of the other Centerport High Schools and withboats from the Highs of Lumberport and Keyport. The three cities beinglocated upon this beautiful inland lake, the young folks were all moreor less familiar with aquatic sports. But never before the establishmentof the Girls' Branch Athletic Association had the girls of the severalcities competed.
The newspapers of the three towns gave plenty of space to amateurathletics, and the big men of the educational boards had taken up thegirls' athletic work with vigor, too. Those interested looked forward tomany field days and exhibitions during the ensuing months. But outsideof their school work the crew of this particular eight-oared shell hadlittle thought for anything but the approaching race.
The boathouse and landing where the shell was kept was right beside thegirls' bathing place and athletic field. Naturally, too, it was nearColonel Richard Swayne's handsome place. As the girls were rowing in oneafternoon after practice they saw the Colonel, with a veiled lady in awheel-chair, on the bank. They seemed to be watching the girls pullingin so easily; but whether the Colonel approved of them, or not, they didnot know.
"And he's got _oodles_ of money!" sighed Roberta Fish. "Wish he'd giveus some for our athletic field."
"But he won't," said Dora Lockwood. "He says we make too much noise. Wedisturb his daughter. She can't sleep much, they say, and afternoons wespoil her forty winks."
"It is too bad if we really _do_ disturb her with our noise," saidLaura, thoughtfully.
"You'll never get any money out of the Colonel, Laura," declared Jess.
"I will!" returned Laura, firmly. "You wait and see. Rome wasn't builtin a day."
"Huh! but it wouldn't ever have been built at all if Romulus and Remushadn't made a commencement," scoffed her chum.
The races were held on Saturday afternoon of that week. There werepaddling races, four-oared shell races, and eight-oared shell races.There were many classes of contestants; but interest centered mainly inthe events in which the high school boys and girls participated.
The girls' eight-oared shell race was the last number on the program. Itwas a straight-away half-mile race--not too long, or too short, for girlsof the age taking part in the sport.
The five boats got into position with some skill and they got a betterstart than in the boys' races. The crowds gathered on shore and on theboats lining the course cheered the girls as they shot away over thebright water.
It was a warm and beautiful day and the water was as calm as a millpond.It was "fast water" indeed!
The crew of Central High were looking their best and "feeling fine."They caught Celia's stroke instantly and, at the swinging pace she set,their boat darted through the water, keeping well up at first with theleading shell.
On so short a course the first few strokes, even, sometimes tell thetale. The Keyport crew took the lead at the start, but both East Highand Central High of Centerport were close after the leader. The Centralcrew, indeed, for some rods were only half a length behind the Keyportshell.
It was a pretty fight, and the voices of the spectators grew in volumeas the five shells shot along the course.