The picnic came off on Saturday afternoon. The weather, which often throws a wet blanket upon the festivities of such occasions, was highly propitious5, and several hundred persons, young and middle-aged6, turned out en masse. The place selected for the picnic was a field of several acres, bordering upon a pond. This had been fitted up by the proprietor7 with swings, and a roofed building without sides, under which were placed rough board tables for the reception of provisions. A number of oak trees with their broad branches furnished shelter.
Besides these arrangements for enjoyment8, there were two boats confined by iron chains, which were thrown around trees near the brink9 of the water.
After enjoying the swing for a time, there was a proposition to go out in the boats.
The boats could comfortably accommodate eight persons each. This number had been obtained, when Joshua came up.
"I'm going," he said unceremoniously.
[Pg 119]
"You will have to wait till next time," said Ralph Morse. "We've got the full number."
"No, I'm going this time," said Joshua, rudely.
"I don't believe there's room. We have eight already."
"There's room for nine. If there isn't you can wait till next time yourself. Besides, you want me to steer10."
"Do you know how to steer?"
"Of course I do," said Joshua, boastfully.
"I guess we can make room," said Mary Meyer, who was always in favor of peaceful measures.
Joshua clambered in, and took his place as steersman.
The other boat had already set off, and, as it happened, under the guidance of Walter Conrad, who had long been accustomed to managing a boat, having had one of his own at home.
"It's your cousin, isn't it? Doesn't he know how to steer?"
[Pg 120]
"About as well as an old cat. He thinks he does, though."
Attention was thus directed to the other boat, which was making easy progress through the water.
"I don't see but he manages well enough," said Rudolph, after watching it for a moment.
"Where are you steering, Joshua?" asked Ralph, suddenly, for the boat nearly half turned round. The fact was that Joshua himself knew very little about steering. In speaking of Walter's want of skill, he had precisely13 described himself.
"I understand what I'm about," answered Joshua, suddenly reversing the direction, and overdoing14 the matter, so as to turn the boat half way round the other way.
"I hope you do," said Ralph, "but it don't look much like it."
"I was looking at the other boat," Joshua condescended15 to explain, "and the rudder slipped."
Walter's boat kept the lead. His perfect steering[Pg 121] made the task easier for the rowers, who got the full advantage of their efforts. Joshua, however, by his uncertain steering, hindered the progress of his boat.
"Can't we beat the other boat?" asked Joseph Wheeler, who was rowing. "I can row as well as either of those fellows."
"So can I," said Tom Barry; "let's try."
The boats were about five lengths apart, the rowers in the foremost boat not having worked very hard, when Tom and Joe began to exert themselves. Their intention was soon manifest, and the spirit of rivalry16 was excited.
"Do your best, boys!" said Walter. "They're trying to catch us. Don't let them do it."
The rowers of the two boats were about evenly matched. If anything, however, Tom and Joe were superior, and, other things being equal, would sooner or later have won the race. But Joshua, by his original style of steering, which became under the influence of excitement even more unreliable, caused them to lose perceptibly.
[Pg 122]
"Can't you steer straight by accident, Joshua?" asked Tom, in a tone of vexation.
"I know more about steering than you do, Tom Barry," growled17 Joshua, getting red in the face, for he could not help seeing that he was not appearing to advantage.
"Show it, then, if you do," was the reply. "If we had your cousin to steer us, we could soon get ahead."
This was very mortifying18 to Joshua. He did not care to be outdone by any one, but to be outdone by Walter was particularly disagreeable.
"It isn't the steering, it's the rowing," he said. "You don't row even."
"Won't you try it, then," said Joe, "and show us what you can do?"
"No, I'd rather steer."
Joshua considered that the steersman's place was the place of honor, and he was not disposed to yield it.
Meanwhile Walter, from his place in the first boat, watched the efforts of his rivals. He was [Pg 123]determined to keep the lead which he had secured, and had little fear of losing it.
"Give way, boys!" he cried; "we'll distance them, never fear!"
Every moment increased the distance between the two boats, to the great satisfaction of those on board the "Arrow," for that was the name of the head boat.
Just at the north-western corner of the pond there was an inlet of considerable length, but narrow. Here the water was shallower than in the remainder of the pond.
"Shall we go in there?" asked Walter.
"Yes, yes," said his fellow-passengers.
Accordingly he steered19 in, and shortly afterwards the "Pioneer," Joshua's boat, also entered. At this time the distance between the two boats was quite two hundred feet.
The "Arrow" pursued her way steadily20 to the head of the inlet, a distance of nearly a quarter of a mile; and then making a graceful21 turn, started on her homeward trip. The width of the inlet here[Pg 124] was very much contracted. After making the turn the "Arrow" met the "Pioneer" after a little distance. There was abundant room for the boats to pass each other, if they had been properly managed. There was no fault in Walter's steering, but, by an awkward blunder of Joshua's, the "Pioneer" veered22 in her course so that the "Arrow" struck her, to use a nautical23 term, amidships. As she was being impelled24 rapidly at the time, the shock was considerable, and the fright still greater. The girls jumped to their feet screaming, and Joshua himself turned pale with fright, but recovered himself sufficiently25 to call out angrily, "What made you run into us, you fool?"
"It's your own fault, Joshua," said Tom Barry, angrily. "You're the most stupid steerer I ever saw. What made you turn the boat?"
"Let somebody else steer," said Joe Wheeler. "A baby could steer better than he."
So a younger boy was put in Joshua's place, much to his mortification27, and he was degraded, as he considered it, to the rank of a passenger.
[Pg 125]
"I'm going ashore," he said sourly. "Let me out up here."
"All right!" said Tom Barry. "I guess we can get along without you. Here, you fellows on the "Arrow," just wait a minute, till we've landed Joshua, and we'll race you back."
True to his determination, Joshua jumped off at the head of the inlet, and the "Pioneer" was turned by her new pilot.
The "Arrow" and the "Pioneer" took their places side by side, and the race commenced. The boats were similar, and thus neither had the advantage on this score. But the rowers on the "Pioneer" were on the whole stronger and more skilful28 than those on the "Arrow." On the other hand, Walter steered perfectly29, while Joshua's successor, though he made no bad blunder, was a novice30.
The result was that the race was a clear one. Finally the "Arrow" came in a length ahead, and Walter felt with quiet satisfaction that the victory had been gained by his efforts.
He thought once more of the song he had heard,[Pg 126] and hoped that he would be as successful through life in paddling his own canoe.
Joshua went home sulky, and was not seen again on the picnic grounds.
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1
sneer
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| v.轻蔑；嘲笑；n.嘲笑，讥讽的言语 | |
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2
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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3
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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4
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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5
propitious
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| adj.吉利的；顺利的 | |
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6
middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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7
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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8
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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9
brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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10
steer
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| vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶 | |
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11
sneering
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| 嘲笑的，轻蔑的 | |
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12
steering
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| n.操舵装置 | |
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13
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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14
overdoing
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| v.做得过分( overdo的现在分词 )；太夸张；把…煮得太久；（工作等）过度 | |
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15
condescended
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| 屈尊，俯就( condescend的过去式和过去分词 )； 故意表示和蔼可亲 | |
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16
rivalry
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| n.竞争，竞赛，对抗 | |
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17
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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18
mortifying
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| adj.抑制的，苦修的v.使受辱( mortify的现在分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等） | |
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19
steered
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| v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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20
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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21
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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22
veered
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| v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的过去式和过去分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转 | |
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23
nautical
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| adj.海上的，航海的，船员的 | |
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24
impelled
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| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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25
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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26
doggedly
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| adv.顽强地，固执地 | |
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27
mortification
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| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
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28
skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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29
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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30
novice
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| adj.新手的，生手的 | |
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