The Willoughby Captains | Page 7

all.
The chief object of the present expedition was not pleasure by any

means as far as Bloomfield and Game were concerned. It was one of a
series of training practices in anticipation of the school regatta, which
was to come off on the second of June, in which the rival four-oars of
the three houses were to compete for the championship of the river. The
second of June was far enough ahead at present, but an old hand like
Bloomfield knew well that the time was all too short to lick his crew
into shape. Parrett's boat, by all ordinary calculation, ought to win, for
they had a specially good lot of men this year; and now Wyndham had
left, the schoolhouse boat would be quite an orphan. Bloomfield
himself was far away the best oar left in Willoughby, and if he could
only get Game to work off a little of his extra fat, and bully Tipper into
reaching better forward, and break Ashley of his trick of feathering
under water, he had a crew at his back which it would be hard indeed to
beat. This morning he was taking Game in hand, and that substantial
athlete was beginning to find out that "working off one's extra fat" in a
tub-pair on a warm summer morning is not all sport.
"I wonder if Tipper and Ashley will show, up," said Bloomfield, who
was rowing bow for the sake of keeping a better watch on his pupil.
"They promised they would. Ashley, you know--(do keep it up, Game,
you're surely not blowed yet)--Ashley's about as much too light as you
are too fat--(try a little burst round the corner now; keep us well out,
young 'un)--but if he'll only keep his blade square till he's out of the
water--(there you go again! Of course you're hot; that's what I brought
you out for. How do you suppose you're to boil down to the proper
weight unless you do perspire a bit?)--he'll make a very decent bow. Ah,
there are Porter and Fairbairn in the schoolhouse tub--(you needn't stop
rowing, Game; keep it up, man; show them how you can spurt). I never
thought they'd try Porter in their boat. They might as well try Riddell.
Just shows how hard-up they must be for men. How are you?" he cried,
as the schoolhouse tub went clumsily past, both rowers looking
decidedly nervous under the critical eye of the captain of Parrett's.
Poor Game, who had been kept hard at it for nearly a mile, now fairly
struck, and declared he couldn't keep it up any longer, and as he had
really done a very good spell of work, Bloomfield consented to land at
the Willows and bathe; after which he and Game would run back, and

young Parson might scull home the tub.
Which delightful plan Master Parson by no means jumped at. He had
calculated on getting at least a quarter of an hour for his Caesar before
morning chapel if they returned as they had come. But now, if he was
expected to lug that great heavy boat back by himself, not only would
he not get that, but the chances were he would get locked out for chapel
altogether, and it would be no excuse that he had had to act as
galley-slave for Bloomfield or anybody else.
"Look alive!" cries Bloomfield from the bank, where he is already
stripped for his header. "And, by the way, on your way up go round to
Chalker's and tell him only to stick up one set of cricket nets in our
court; don't forget, now. Be quick; you've not too much time before
chapel."
Saying which, he takes a running dive from the bank and leaves the
luckless Parson to boil over inwardly as he digs his sculls spitefully
into the water and begins his homeward journey.
Was life worth living at this rate? If he didn't tell Chalker about the nets
that imbecile old groundsman would be certain to stick up half a dozen
sets, and there'd be no end of a row. That was 7:30 striking now, and he
had to be in the chapel at five minutes to eight, and Chalker's hut was a
long five minutes from the boat-house. And then those eight French
verbs and that Caesar--
It was no use thinking about them, and Parson lashed out with his sculls,
caring little if that hulking tub went to the bottom. He'd rather like it, in
fact, for he wanted a swim. He hadn't even had time to tub that morning,
and it was certain there'd be no time now till goodness knew when--not
till after second school, and then probably he'd be spending a pleasant
half-hour in the doctor's study.
At this point he