said Tom. "We mean to be first."

"Well, I hope we may!" said Hardy. "I can tell you nobody felt it
more than I--not even old Diogenes--when you didn't make your
bump to-night."

"Now you talk like a man, and a Saint Ambrosian," said Tom. "But
what do you think? Shall we ever catch them?" and, so saying, he
retired to a chair opposite the tea things.

"No," said Hardy; "I don't think we ever shall. I'm very sorry to
say it, but they are an uncommonly strong lot, and we have a weak
place or two in our crew. I don't think we can do more than we
did to-night--at least with the present crew."

"But if we could get a little more strength we might?"

"Yes, I think so. Jervis's stroke is worth two of theirs. A very
little more powder would do it."

"Then we must have a little more powder."

"Ay, but how are we to get it? Who can you put in?"

"You!" said Tom, sitting up. "There, now, that's just what I am
come about. Drysdale is to go out. Will you pull next race? They
all want you to row."

"Do they?" said Hardy, quietly (but Tom could see that his eye
sparkled at the notion, though he was too proud to show how much
he was pleased); "then they had better come and ask me
themselves."

"Well, you cantankerous old party, they're coming, I can tell
you!" said Tom in great delight. "The Captain just sent me to
break ground, and will be here directly himself. I say now,
Hardy," he went on, "don't you say no. I've set my heart upon it.
I'm sure we shall bump them if you pull."

"I don't know that," said Hardy, getting up, and beginning to
make tea, to conceal the excitement he was in at the idea of
rowing; "you see I'm not in training."

"Gammon," said Tom, "you're always in training, and you know it."

"Well," said Hardy, "I can't be in worse than Drysdale. He has
been of no use above the Gut these last three nights."

"That's just what Miller says," said Tom, "and here comes the
Captain." There was a knock at the door while he spoke, and
Jervis and Miller entered.

Tom was in a dreadful fidget for the next twenty minutes, and may
best be compared to an enthusiastic envoy negotiating a treaty,
and suddenly finding his action impeded by the arrival of his
principals. Miller was very civil, but not pressing; he seemed to
have come more with a view of talking over the present state of
things, and consulting upon them, than to enlisting a recruit.
Hardy met him more than halfway, and speculated on all sorts of
po