These judges were horrified naturally at the idea. Riddell was too heavy, too clumsy, too nervous. But Fairbairn was loth to give up his idea; so he went to Mr Parrett, and asked him if he would mind running with the schoolhouse pair-oar during the next morning’s spin, and watching the steering of the new captain. Mr Parrett did so; and was not a little pleased with the performance, but advised Fairbairn to try him in the four-oar before deciding.
Fairbairn, delighted, immediately broached the subject to his friend. Poor Riddell was astounded at such a notion.
He cox the schoolhouse boat in the regatta!
“My dear fellow,” said he to Fairbairn. “I’m not a very exalted personage in Willoughby as it is—but this would be the finishing stroke!”
“What do you mean—that it’s infra dig. to cox the boat?”
“Oh no!” said Riddell, “anything but that. But it might be infra dig. for the boat to be steered into the bank in the middle of the race.”
“Humbug, if that’s your only reason. Anyhow, old man, come down and try your hand in the four to-morrow morning.”
Riddell protested that the idea was absurd, and that he wouldn’t hear of it. But Fairbairn reasoned him down. He hadn’t steered them into the bank since the second morning—he hadn’t tried steering the four-oar, how did he know he couldn’t do it? Mr Parrett had advised the trial strongly, and so on.
“No,” said he, “the only question is your weight. You’d have to run off a bit of that, you know.”
“Oh,” said Riddell, “as to that, you can take as many pounds off me as you like; but—”