THE TRIAL SPIN
"Which way are we going this afternoon for a practice spin?" asked Corney Shays, as he came alongside Fred Fenton.
There was a lively crowd around the long, low shed in which the new boat was temporarily quartered, while the new building, a start upon which had already been made, was being erected.
Several score of persons had gathered to see the boys row, for it began to look as if the whole community was going wild over the prospects of another school victory coming to Riverport. Baseball and football, it seemed, did not wholly satisfy the appetites of the now aroused Riverport athletes. They had beaten both of their rivals again this season on the diamond; and now, with Fall a long way off, this boating fever had seized upon them in its full strength.
Of course most of those present were boys and girls, enthusiastic believers in the fellows who carried the honor of good old Riverport school in their hand. It goes without saying that every member of the crew probably had at least one fair admirer present, who believed that without him the chances of victory must be mighty small indeed.
"Oh!" replied Fred, turning to greet Corney, who was a bit late in arriving, but was now dressed ready for business; "down-river, of course."
"Why do you say 'of course,' Fred?" persisted the other, who always wanted to understand everything he talked about, and who would go into details indefinitely until everything was plain. "There's a fine course up-river. You remember we rushed it with Buck's crowd. And I understand that it will like as not be made the official course when the great boat race is pulled off."
"That's true, Corney," Fred continued; "but there are several reasons why Brad has picked out the other side of the town for all our trial spins. First of all, you know the big, broad channel the Mohunk has for three miles between here and Paulding?"
"Sure I do; and a splendid place to make good speed, too," the other admitted.
"Then, again, if we kept going up the river we'd be apt to interfere with the practice of the Mechanicsburg fellows, who have no other course but that one between the two towns."