The Regatta—The Duel.
By agreement we rested through the middle of the day, and, in place of our usual hearty dinner, took an early lunch. It was irksome, though, to be quiet when so excited, and when, too, a multitude of pastimes were suggested to our senses by the loveliness of that June day.
Mr Clare and Captain Mugford had gone to fish in the Race off the extreme point.
When half-past one o’clock came, Harry, who seemed the most impatient, proposed that we should go down to Bath Bay then, and wait there until three, the hour of the race. That we agreed to, but left directions with Clump to hurry our tutors up as soon as they returned, and have them ready for the race.
We had time to launch our boat carefully, and take a nice swim, before we descried our tutors, followed by Clump with a long musket, descending the knoll toward us. So we hastened our dressing, and, when they reached the beach, were ready to receive them in our extemporised costume of blue shirts and white trousers. Captain Mugford was already in a perspiration from his walk, and, what we boys also noticed with delight, seemed somewhat blown. However, he was jolly, and, flourishing the ever active handkerchief, proposed to Mr Clare that they should row round Leander’s Rock, and let the boys follow them! “But at a respectful distance, remember, boys!” We laughed scornfully at his chaff. Harry touched his cap like a middy, and promised for our boat that it should keep at a very “respectful distance.”
It took but a short time to complete preparations. Our tutors threw off hats, coats, and vests, and tied handkerchiefs about their heads. Then they lifted their boat into the water, and stood smiling at the excitement we could not help betraying. Clump was on his way to Youngster’s Wharf, where, at the proper moment, he was to give the signal for starting by firing the musket. A flag waved from Leander’s Rock; another was flying over our heads. The clear water of the bay soused in impatient little ripples against the boats we stood ready to enter, as if to say, “Well, why don’t you come on?” and then, purling a few feet farther, skipped over the spar which was to be our goal. Clump had reached Youngster’s Wharf. Seeing that, we entered our boats, seated ourselves carefully, balancing the oars ready to spring, and waited the signal. I alone could see Clump; the oarsmen had their backs to him. The long gun was brought up to his shoulder, and his eyes fixed on us. I saw his finger twitch, and as the hammer fell, my body gave way to help the start. The oarsmen, with their eyes on mine, acted in sympathy, and every oar touched the water; but the old flintlock had only snapped. How our adversaries laughed! The old man sprang about on the rock like a wounded baboon. He was indignant at the failure. Again we were in order. Again I saw the musket brought up. Bang! We were off, and were opposite Youngster’s Wharf before the smoke had cleared from above Clump’s head. The boats were side by side then. Notwithstanding the eagerness with which I swayed forward with every pull of the oars, and the frenzy that filled me, as in a moment more I saw our tutors’ boat drawing slightly ahead, I had to laugh at the antics of Clump, who was rushing from side to side of his floating staging, dancing up and down like a rheumatic lunatic, tossing his arms wildly about his uncovered head, his face a kaleidoscope of grimaces, while he shouted to each one of us by name, in encouragement, in entreaty, in fear: “Oh, Massa Drake! pull, pull!” “Massa Walter! Massa Walter! dus you let ’em beat!” “Day’se gwine ahead! Oh dear! oh dear! oh dear!”
His voice was lost in another moment. We were nearly half across the bay, and our tutors’ boat a full length ahead. I saw that my crew were too excited to do their best, so I called to them: “Boys, steady now! Keep cool, cool. Only think of what your arms are doing.”
“There, that’s better already! We’re gaining! Hurrah! Stick to it!”
“Come, boys,” called Mr Clare. “Come, we can’t wait for you longer!”
I believe that lent five pounds of extra strength to every arm in my boat.