"I tell you what it is, fellers," he said, as he pulled out into the stream, "I'm jest makin' things hum around here. These folks have never seen any kind of style put into rowin', an' I'm knockin' their eyes out."
"Don't give it to them too strong, or they may want to keep you here as an ornament after the fair closes, and then the rest of the world would suffer," Dan said, with a laugh, and Sam replied:
"You fellers can make fun; but what I say is straight," and then he made preparations for giving an exhibition. "Watch me now, an' you'll learn a thing or two about boats."
During the next ten minutes he pulled as if in a race, first up and then down the stream, until sheer lack of breath forced him to stop.
"I hope you haven't set the keel on fire," Dan said, solicitously. "There's no question but that you made good time, though I'm inclined to think the build of the boat had considerable to do with the speed. This one looks as if she would row herself."
"That's all you know about it. If I hadn't been a first-class hand at——"
"See there!" Teddy cried, excitedly, as he pointed toward the shore. "That's the man who got my fifteen dollars. Pull in, Sam, an' pull for all you are worth!"
The oarsman delayed only long enough to gaze in the direction indicated, where he saw the old fakir whom they had met with such great loss at Waterville, and then he bent himself to the task.
"Do you believe it will be safe to tackle him after last night?" Dan asked.
"I'm going to, and if he don't get away from me I'll ask some of the crowd to help me have him arrested," Teddy replied, grimly.