.

"Counting me! well, that's cool," laughed Blake; "you old tub
haunting flute-player, why am I not to be counted?"

"You never will train, you see," said Diogenes.

"Smith is quite right," said Miller; "there's no counting on you,
Blake. Now, be a good fellow, and promise to be regular this
year."

"I'll promise to do my work in a race, which is more than some of
your best-trained men will do," said Blake, rather piqued.

"Well you know what I think on the subject," said Miller; "but
who have we got for the other three places?"

"There's Drysdale would do," said Diogenes; "I hear he was a
capital oar at Eton; and so, though I don't know him, I managed
to get him once down last term. He would do famously for No.2, or
No.3 if he would pull."

"Do you think he will, Blake? You know him, I suppose," said
Miller.

"Yes, I know him well enough," said Blake; and, shrugging his
shoulders, added, "I don't think you'll get him to train much."

"Well, we must try," said Miller. "Now, who else is there?"

Smith went through four or five names, at each of which Miller
shook his head.

"Any promising freshmen?" said he at last.

"None better than Brown here," said Smith. "I think he'll do well
if he will only work, and stand being coached."

"Have you ever pulled much?" said Miller.

"No," said Tom, "never till this last month--since I've been up
here."

"All the better," said Miller; "now, Captain, you hear; we may
probably have to go in with three new hands; they must get into
your stroke this term, or we shall be nowhere."

"Very well," said the Captain; "I'll give from two till five any
days you like."

"And now let's go and have one pool," said Blake, getting up.
"Come, Captain, just one little pool after all this business."

Diogenes insisted on staying to play his flute; Miller was
engaged; but the Captain, with a little coaxing, was led away by
Blake, and good-naturedly asked Tom to accompany them, when he
saw that he was looking as if he would like it. So the three went
off to the billiard-rooms; Tom in such spirits at the chance of
being tried in the crew, that he hardly noticed the exceedingly
bad exchange which he had involuntarily made of his new cap and
gown for a third-year cap with the board broken into several
pieces, and a fusty old gown which had been about college
probably for ten generations. Under-graduate morality in the
matter of caps and gowns seems to be founded on the celebrated