not quite level. The other boat must come back a foot or two. Not
quite enough; our boat must advance a few inches. There, now they are
level.

"Are you ready?" No, our boat has drifted forward again, and must be
moved back. All this takes time, but presently we are once again level,
and the question is repeated--

"Are you ready?"

The only answer this time is the leaning forward of both crews, with
arms stretched and oars well back, in readiness for the signal.

What ages it seems! And there I actually the wind has blown our rivals'
bows across the stream, and before we start another two minutes must be
spent in manoeuvring her back into position. Once again--

"Are you ready?"

No answer, save the quick reach forward and silent suspense.

"Then go!" and I feel the boat half lifted in the water under me. The
first stroke is rather a scramble, and so is the second, but by the
third the boat has begun to get its "way" on, and in a stroke or two
more our men have settled down to their customary swing.

But what of our opponents? At the first stroke their boat had dashed
away an inch or two in advance of ours, at the third that distance had
become a foot, and presently they were far enough ahead to enable me to
catch sight of their coxswain's back. As we both settled down to work,
they were rowing at a considerably quicker pace than we, wrenching the
boat forward at each stroke, and inch by inch improving their advantage.

All this I noticed before the shout with which the spectators hailed the
start had died away. I had a dim vision of a body of runners starting
along with us on the banks, and of eager cries to one crew or the other
from sympathising onlookers; but I had enough to do to keep my eye fixed
ahead, without gaping at the crowd.

Remembering Mr Blunt's advice, I selected a landmark in front, and
steered our course direct for it; a plan of which I had cause to be glad
pretty early in the race. For the Old Boys' boat, drawing steadily
ahead to about half a boat's length, began very gradually to insinuate
its nose a little over in our direction, so that, had I not had a fixed
point on which to steer, I should have been strongly tempted to give way
unwittingly before it, and so abandon an inch or two of the water that
fairly belonged to our boat. As it was, however, I was able both to
detect and defeat this manoeuvre, for, keeping on a perfectly straight
course, the others were obliged to