"What"s that for?" asked one of the crew of the Emma.
"They hold the wind, and keep us back a little. We will be on the safe side. Now, ready, fellows, and mind what I have said to you. Don"t look at the other boat till you can see her over our stern."
Nevers disdained to follow the example of his rival in removing his flags, saying that he could beat him with his colors flying. Nevers prided himself upon his skill in handling a boat, and he felt that the opportunity had come which would enable him to triumph over the hated usurper, as he considered Richard. He knew how much glory and honor would be awarded to the conqueror in this race, and that if he could beat his rival, scores of those fair-weather friends, who always attach themselves to a rising man, would leave him.
The signal gun was on sh.o.r.e, and at a gesture from the colonel, it was discharged. The report seemed to unloose the bonds which chained the boats to their stations, and they bounded away. The crew of the Alice bent to their oars with the most tremendous energy, while that of the Emma seemed to be inspired by the cool and steady nerve of her c.o.xswain. They had been fully and thoroughly instructed in their duty.
The crowd of boys on the sh.o.r.e were silent and breathless with the interest they felt in the exciting race; and when, before the boats had gone a quarter of a mile, they discovered the Alice more than half a length ahead of her companion, the jaws of Richard"s friends dropped, and their faces were as long as though a ten pound weight had been fastened to the chin of each, while a smile of triumphant satisfaction lighted up the faces of Nevers"s well-wishers.
"Nevers has it!" exclaimed one of his intimates, as, when she rounded Green Island, the Alice was found to be more than a length ahead of the Emma.
"Not yet," said one of the other clique. "Let d.i.c.k Grant alone. He knows what he is about. He don"t half try yet."
The crew of the Emma could not yet see the Alice over the stern of the boat, and we doubt not they shared the anxiety and despondency of their friends on sh.o.r.e. But no sooner had the boats rounded the island, and commenced on the home stretch, than Richard"s vibrating body began gradually to move more rapidly, and just in proportion as he increased the movement, the Emma lessened the distance between herself and the Alice.
"Steady, fellows; don"t get excited. Dip a little deeper," said Richard, in a quiet, cool tone. "We are doing splendidly, and you shall see the Alice over the stern in about three minutes."
Nevers, as in the fight with his rival, began to be very much excited when he saw that he was losing ground. He spoke quick and earnest words to the crew of his boat, who had been doing their utmost from the beginning, urging them to increase their exertions. Richard had not permitted his crew to do their best at first, but had kept in their muscles a reserve of strength for the final emergency. The party in the Alice had no such reserve power, and their efforts to increase the speed of the boat were put forth at the expense of a proper attention to skill and precision.
The boats were now side by side, and they continued in this relative position until they were within half a mile of the stake boat. The race had become intensely exciting, and again the two cliques on sh.o.r.e were breathless and silent with interest. Neither party had any thing to indicate the success of its favorite.
Even yet Richard had not put his crew to their utmost. But the decisive moment had arrived, and his body began to sway backward and forward with increasing rapidity, and a quarter of a mile more gave him half a boat-length"s advantage over his rival.
"Steady, fellows; keep cool," said he, in a loud whisper. "Don"t miss a stroke, and make every one tell all it will. Now you see her over the stern--but pull steady."
The Emma was a length ahead of the Alice when Richard finished these remarks. The boats were within an eighth of a mile of the end of the course, and the murmuring applause of the Grant party on sh.o.r.e began to reach the ears of the contestants.
"Pull! Pull!" shouted Nevers, filled with rage and vexation. "Pull with all your might, fellows. We can beat him yet, if you only stick to it."
He increased the rapidity of his motions, but his crew were unable to keep up with him. Their stroke was unsteady; some of them forgot to feather their oars, and some scarcely dipped the blades in the water.
"Steady!" said Richard, with more energy. "Mind your stroke. Keep both eyes on me. Here we are!" shouted he, jumping up from his seat in the stern, and giving the order to cease rowing.
The Emma flew by the stake boat two and a half lengths ahead of the Alice, and a stunning roar of cheers from the sh.o.r.e and the sail boat saluted the victors.
"Grant forever! Three cheers for Grant!" shouted Bailey, as the crew of the Emma rose and made the welkin ring with their huzzas.
CHAPTER XVIII.
RICHARD WINS ANOTHER RACE, AND TUNBROOK IS MUTINOUS.
It was a proud moment for Richard Grant when he rose from the stern sheets of the Emma, and found the Alice was two or three lengths behind, and when he heard the shouts of his friends rend the air. It was victory--another triumph over the Regulators, who had threatened to make Tunbrook too hot to hold him. They did not get ahead very fast, and he felt that his conquest over them was complete.
The hour of prosperity, of triumph, is the most dangerous period in the experience of a young man. He is on the top of the wave, and he sees not the dark abyss that yawns on either side of him. Truly we need adversity to keep us from forgetting G.o.d and duty; to keep us from forgetting that truth and justice are more mighty than mere success.
But when Richard came to Tunbrook, he came with a solemn resolution to forsake the error of his ways, and find happiness in the path of rect.i.tude. Whatever success had attended him, he attributed to the influence of this good resolution. He had manfully resisted temptation; he had cured himself of several bad habits, and he had made good progress in the conquest of himself. He had often felt an inclination to resent with hard words and heavy blows the sneers of the Nevers faction, but he had controlled himself; and each victory of principle over inclination had made him stronger in his purpose to do right.
Bertha"s answer to his letter, in which he had informed her of his election to the post of sergeant, cautioned him against being too much elated by his good fortune. She hoped his promotion would not make him think too much of himself. When he realized that he had won a new victory, when he heard the boys shouting his name, the words of his sister came to his mind, and he determined to bear his honors meekly, and to feel kindly towards Nevers and his friends.
As they pulled to the stake boat, Richard cautioned his crew not to "crow" over the fellows in the other boat, for it was a friendly contest, and he did not wish to see any ill feeling on either side. The Alice was already alongside the sail boat. Nevers was in no enviable frame of mind; he looked dark and sour, and Richard only bestowed one glance upon him, lest his looks should be misconstrued.
"Grant, you have won the race," said Colonel Brockridge, as the Emma came up. "I had no idea of such a result."
"Three cheers for Grant!" shouted an enthusiastic boy in the sail boat.
"No," added the princ.i.p.al, as he glanced at the crest-fallen c.o.xswain of the Alice, and saw that he was taking his defeat very hardly. "You have cheered enough. We don"t want any unkind feelings to grow out of this affair. Nevers, you have been beaten, but----"
"I shouldn"t have been, if I had had fair play," growled Nevers, whose anger was manifest in his tones.
"Has there been any foul play?" demanded the colonel.
"Yes, sir, there has," replied Nevers, sharply.
"What was it?"
"The fellows in the Emma took her out of the water, cleaned her, and covered her bottom with black lead."
"I don"t see any unfair play in that. You had the right to use your time for preparation as you wished," said the princ.i.p.al.
"He couldn"t have beaten if his boat hadn"t been in better condition,"
added Nevers.
"It is a good driver that keeps his horse in good condition. I think it is rulable for each crew to prepare their boat as they think best."
"Well, he beat us by a trick. What did they go down the river for to haul up their boat?"
"That is their business. I see you are not satisfied, Nevers."
"No, sir, I am not. I like to have fair play in these things."
"So do I," said the colonel, with a quiet smile, "and I think you had better try this thing over again. Now, suppose you exchange boats, and pull round once more, that we may see how much good the black lead did.
What do you say, Grant?"
"I am willing, sir," replied Richard.
"We are all f.a.gged out, now, sir," interposed Nevers.
"I proposed this method to remove your objections to the race, Nevers.
You might have cleaned your boat, if you had been so disposed."
"I didn"t think of it," snarled Nevers.
"If a general should get beaten because he did not think to bring up his ammunition, or by neglecting any precaution, his want of forethought would hardly be deemed a sufficient excuse. I should like to have you exchange boats for a short pull, if you don"t go round the island."