"Oh, that's it? Excuse me! Well, now, how is he going to make a lot of lubberly freshies beat us?"
"He's found some men who can pull oars all right, and he has introduced a few innovations that will be surprises."
"How do you know so much about it?"
"I have been investigating, and I am not the only one."
"Well, what are his innovations?"
"The Oxford oar, in the first place."
"What is that?"
"Two to four inches longer than our oar, with a blade five and one-half inches wide, instead of seven inches."
"For goodness' sake, what is the advantage of such an oar?"
"I'll tell you. With a short course and high stroke no set of men are strong enough to use the old oar and go the distance without weakening. You must admit that."