Before them the warm red bulk of Academy Building, already hidden in wide expanses with tender green ivy11 leaves, arose against the velvety12 blue of the sky. In the tower a quivering disk of dazzling light marked where the sun shone upon the old bell. The trees were in full leaf, and the green was a little forest of light and shade and murmurous13 branches. Even the river dozed14, below the bluff turquoise15 blue unbroken by swirl16 or eddy17, beyond in the distance[232] aglint with the sun. In the dormitories the windows were thrown wide, and boys lazed on the cushioned seats. There was a tuneful, unceasing hum of insects; the sun shone hotly; summer had come to the valley of the Hudson. It was the third day of June, a fact just remarked upon by Stewart, who had casually18 added that it was the anniversary of the Battle of Cold Harbor. This exciting announcement went unnoticed for a moment. Then Carl yawned loudly.
“Don’t believe it,” he muttered. More silence followed. Then, “It is extremely bad taste,” said Dick, “to air your knowledge in—that—in that——” Then his teeth closed on an unusually attractive grass stem and he subsided19. A little breeze crept up the slope from the campus and stirred the brown locks over Trevor’s forehead. He sat up suddenly and observed Dick and Carl in fine disdain20.
“Lazy beggars,” he muttered. At great labor21 and with many harrowing groans22 he reached about and gathered a handful of grass. Dick knew what was coming, but hadn’t the energy to prepare for resistance until it was too late. Then he sat up himself and, pulling the wad from his neck, stuffed it down Carl’s. Every one giggled23; it was really very funny for a warm day. The quartet were now sitting in a circle, even Carl showing signs of life. Conversation appeared to be necessary. Dick opened his lips and closed them again without a sound. Trevor came to the rescue.
[233]
“Hot,” he remarked.
“You’re an awful chatterbox,” sighed Carl. But the spell was broken.
“Only two weeks to the end of school,” said Dick. “By Jove, I’d just like to know where the time’s gone; it doesn’t seem any time since spring vacation!”
“That’s so,” answered Carl. “Another two weeks and it’ll be all over, and good-by to old Hillton. It’s funny how sorry it makes a chap. That’s the odd thing about it; it doesn’t seem so fine until you have to leave it all. I wonder if I’ll have as good a time at college?”
“I know,” mused24 Dick sentimentally25, “it’s almost like leaving home. I wish—I wish I was going to stay another year!”
“My, you’re funny,” quoth Stewart. “Catch me being sorry when I get through!”
“Wait; you will be,” answered Carl. “There’s a whole raft of fellows going up to Harwell this year, isn’t there? Do you know anything about your room yet, Dick?”
“No; I guess I’ll find a small one near the Yard for this year. When Trevor comes he and I are going to room together, aren’t we, old chap?”
“If you’re good,” answered his chum gravely. When hostilities26 had ended Carl said reminiscently:
“It’s been a pretty good year for Hillton, hasn’t it?”
“So far; if you only beat St. Eustace at baseball, and if we can only win on the river it’ll be the best year on[234] record, I guess. We certainly did her up finely at the interscholastic meet, eh?”
“I should say so! Forty-three points to twenty-nine! And little Stew9 here to thank for ten of them. Take off your hat, Stew!”
“’Tis off.”
“I’ll never forget the way in which he ran away from that St. Eustace fellow in the half-mile,” continued Carl, smiling. “And to think that when he came here three years ago he couldn’t turn the door-knob without using both hands!”
“Oh, dry up,” said Stewart.
“I guess you’re pretty certain to beat St. Eustace at baseball, aren’t you, Carl?”
“Yes, pretty certain; barring accidents we ought to have little trouble. We play Shrewsburg again Saturday, and I believe we’ll shut her out.”
“Don’t get too confident,” warned Dick.
“No fear; and I don’t talk like this before the fellows. But we’ve really got the finest lot of players that I ever saw.”
“I know. Well, if you get both games from St. Eustace your name will go down to posterity27 in red letters with a wreath about it. I only wish I was as hopeful as you are.”
“Old Dick wouldn’t let himself get hopeful if we had a boatful of tailor’s dummies28 to row against,” said Trevor. “There isn’t any possibility of our getting beaten on the fifteenth—barring accidents.”
[235]
“But the trouble is we can’t bar accidents,” replied Dick. “They will happen even in the best regulated of crews. Somebody’s certain to take sick or sprain29 his wrist or something.”
“Isn’t he an old granny?” asked Trevor disgustedly.
“I hear you had a shake-up yesterday?” queried30 Carl.
“A little one; Kirk took Milton out and is trying Cheever at three. And he dropped Rankin from the second eight. That was all. I guess we’ll row about the way we are now. St. Eustace’s coach read the riot act last week, they say; dumped two men out of the boat and raked every one over the coals. Oh, well, we’ll know all about it in a couple of weeks.”
“I wish I was as certain of exams as I am that we’ll beat St. Eustace,” said Trevor. “By the way, Dick, the pater’s coming up for class day to see you graduate. Stewart, they’re going to draw for the tennis tournament to-night in Chandler’s room.”
“How many entries are there?” asked Carl.
“Twenty-two. I hope I don’t get drawn31 for the preliminary round, that’s all. I’d hate to get thrown out of it so early and have no——”
“There she goes,” said Stewart, jumping up.
The bell in the tower rang lazily, and the four entered Academy Building for two o’clock recitations.
May had slipped into June, and June had brought fresh impetus32 in every outdoor pursuit. The school was rowing[236] mad, just as it always was in June, and every day groups of fellows congregated33 at the boat-house or watched the proceedings34 from the path above. The trying period of instruction in a pair-oar at the hands of Malcolm Kirk or, as upon occasions, at those of Dick, was over and practice had simmered down to businesslike work in stretches of from an hour to two hours each day. It wasn’t all rowing; often the men leaned motionless over their oars35 while Kirk from the deck of the little Terrible talked to them for a quarter of an hour at a time on the error of their way. Always, nowadays, there was ten minutes or so of practicing starts; often the varsity and second were drawn up on the mark, and were given the word together; and alas36 for the boat that was behind at the tenth stroke! But it was the best of training, and the proficiency37 in quick starting which they finally secured stood them in good stead later.
There was less fault-finding on the part of the coach with the fellows as individuals now. The work as a whole received the bulk of his attention, and the most serious fault he had to contend with was a tendency to raise the stroke by rushing the body forward instead of putting more force into the pull through. There were lesser38 faults, besides; plenty of them; there was probably never yet a perfect crew, and certainly Hillton’s varsity was in no danger of becoming one. But on the whole the fellows rowed well, making the most of the long stroke, taking kindly39 enough to the rather severe leg-work, and gradually acquiring the[237] ability to spurt40 quickly and evenly. For this, naturally, much credit belonged to Dick, who, at stroke, displayed wonderful steadiness, and inspired the crew with a sensation of balance and security that promised to accomplish much in time of stress. Taylor, at Number 7, worked with Dick as one cog-wheel works with another, and Kirk was well satisfied with the stern of the varsity boat at least. In the waist a source of some trial was Waters, who of late had displayed a tendency to clip his stroke. Trevor was doing finely at Number 4, and had vindicated41 Kirk’s first impression of him, and Professor Beck’s as well, and, for that matter, his own. But perhaps the best feature displayed by the crew was a hearty42 willingness to work; there were no sluggards in the boat, and an earnest resolve to wrest43 victory from St. Eustace inspired all.
Taylor had kept his promise, though Dick, to be sure, had never doubted that he would do so. In the course of time the sprained44 knee was pronounced healed, and he had taken his place in the boat again and had fitted into it in such a way that Dick was convinced that his sacrifice, had it been necessary, would not have been too dear a price to pay for the other’s return. The two saw but little of each other outside of training, and the trouble that had threatened Hillton with defeat on the water was never alluded45 to by either. If they were not friends neither were they enemies, and each had risen in the other’s estimation.
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1
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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2
sleet
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| n.雨雪；v.下雨雪，下冰雹 | |
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3
bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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4
tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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5
propped
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| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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6
nibbling
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| v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的现在分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬 | |
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7
steadfastly
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| adv.踏实地，不变地；岿然；坚定不渝 | |
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8
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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9
stew
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| n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑 | |
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10
feats
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| 功绩，伟业，技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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11
ivy
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| n.常青藤，常春藤 | |
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12
velvety
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| adj. 像天鹅绒的, 轻软光滑的, 柔软的 | |
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13
murmurous
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| adj.低声的 | |
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14
dozed
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| v.打盹儿，打瞌睡( doze的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
turquoise
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| n.绿宝石；adj.蓝绿色的 | |
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16
swirl
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| v.(使)打漩，(使)涡卷；n.漩涡，螺旋形 | |
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17
eddy
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| n.漩涡，涡流 | |
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18
casually
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| adv.漠不关心地，无动于衷地，不负责任地 | |
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19
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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20
disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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21
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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22
groans
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| n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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23
giggled
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24
mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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25
sentimentally
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| adv.富情感地 | |
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26
hostilities
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| n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事 | |
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27
posterity
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| n.后裔，子孙，后代 | |
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28
dummies
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| n.仿制品( dummy的名词复数 )；橡皮奶头；笨蛋；假传球 | |
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29
sprain
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| n.扭伤,扭筋 | |
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30
queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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31
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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impetus
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| n.推动，促进，刺激；推动力 | |
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33
congregated
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| （使）集合，聚集( congregate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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34
proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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35
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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36
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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37
proficiency
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| n.精通，熟练，精练 | |
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38
lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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39
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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40
spurt
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| v.喷出；突然进发；突然兴隆 | |
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41
vindicated
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| v.澄清（某人/某事物）受到的责难或嫌疑( vindicate的过去式和过去分词 )；表明或证明（所争辩的事物）属实、正当、有效等；维护 | |
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42
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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43
wrest
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| n.扭，拧，猛夺；v.夺取，猛扭，歪曲 | |
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44
sprained
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| v.&n. 扭伤 | |
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45
alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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