And then the Zephyrs clapped their hands, long and loudly, and this was the greeting which the old club gave to the new one. The compliment was heartily returned by the Butterfly, and then the cheers were repeated again and again. Every member seemed to glow with kindly feeling towards the others. Even Tim Bunker for the time laid aside his morose look, and joined in the expression of good will with as much zeal as his companions.
"Now man your oars, Zephyrs," said Frank.
"What ye going to do now?" asked Tim, as he grasped his oar with the others.
"You shall know in due time," replied the coxswain.
Here was another thing which Tim had yet to learn—not to ask questions of the commander. It was a part of the discipline of the club to obey without stopping to argue the point. Captain Sedley himself had suggested this idea, and it had been thoroughly carried out on board the Zephyr. It was an established principle that "the coxswain knew what he was about," and that he alone was responsible for the guidance and the safety of the boat.
Tim did not seem to fancy this kind of discipline. He evidently felt that he had been born to command, and not to obey. But the consciousness that he was in the minority induced him to yield whatever convictions he might have had of his own superiority to the will of the "powers that be," and he followed the example of the others.
"Ready—pull!" continued Frank.
He and Tony had arranged a little system of "fleet maneuvers," to be carried out when the two boats met.
To the surprise of all on board,—for they were not "posted up" in regard to these tactics,—Frank put the Zephyr about.
"Cease—rowing!" said he, when the boat was headed in the opposite direction.