CHAPTER IX
THE MILLIONAIRE ARRIVES
Only by the smallest margin was the long narrow racing shell prevented from turning over. Prompt action on the part of the lads in it, who were veteran oarsmen in spite of their years, saved the day. But considerable water was shipped.
As for Andy and Frank, they worked hard with their sculls to send their boat out of the way of the other craft. The current hampered them, and it took considerable muscle to get them where there was no danger for themselves or the lads from Waterside Hall.
Then, when comparative calmness had succeeded the confusion, the looks of all in the shell were turned on our two heroes.
"Say, who are you dubs, anyhow?" demanded the irate coxswain.
"They're from Riverview," put in a rower. "Can't you tell by their sweaters?"
"Well, all I've got to say," went on the coxswain, "is that you fellows ought to stay off this part of the river until you know how to row. You've broken one of our oars and maybe damaged our shell. Why don't you keep near shore until you know how to handle a boat?"
"Yes, and it was my best oar, too," wailed the bow rower ruefully as he gazed at the splintered sweep.
"We ought to duck them!" exclaimed the rower front of him. "It would serve 'em right."
This tirade and abuse had been heaped up so quickly on Andy and Frank that they had not had time to reply to it. But they were far from going to sit still and take it all calmly.
"Look here!" exclaimed Frank, as he held the old tub steady with slow sweeps of the oars, "you fellows may think you own the river, but you don't."
"We have as much right on it as you have," added Andy.
"Hear 'em talk!" jeered the coxswain.
"And what's more," continued the elder Racer lad, "it was as much your fault as ours."
"How do you make that out?" asked a rower amidships.
"Because you are supposed to know the currents of this stream, and we've only been here a few days. If I lived near a stream of water I'd know all about it before very long."
"Aw get out, you're dubs! You don't know how to row!"
"We don't, eh?" demanded Andy. "I'll race any one of you individually in any kind of a craft you like. Don't know how to row!"
"We could row before you fellows knew what a boat or an oar was," declared Frank, and this was probably true, for they had been near the water all their lives and had been trusted out, not too far from shore, alone, when but five years old.
"Well, you want to keep out of our way after this," was all the retort the coxswain could make.
"Yes, you dubs from Riverview haven't any rights on the river since you gave up racing," added another of the Waterside Hall lads.
"Is there such a place as Riverview any more?" asked a third. "I understood it had been sold at auction."
There was a laugh at this, a laugh that brought a flush of anger and shame to the cheeks of Frank and Andy. The laugh still rang in their ears as they rowed away, and its echo seemed to follow them as they disappeared around a bend in the river and saw the shell being pulled back.
"Well?" remarked Andy in a questioning tone, after a long period of silence.
"Um," said Frank, noncommittally. "They're rather a stuck-up crowd. They think they're the whole universe when it comes to rowing, and a bit more. I wish we could take them down a peg. I'd just like to be one of a four-oared-shell crowd to put it all over them. Jove! Wouldn't it be fun to beat the jackets off them?"
"Oh, what's the use?" wearily demanded Andy. "We belong to a dub school, even if we aren't dubs ourselves. There's no use denying it—Riverview is on the fritz and we know it. Everybody else knows it too. I feel like quitting. I'm going to write to dad to-night, and tell him all about it." Clearly the recent happening had taken the spunk out of Andy.
"Look here!" exclaimed Frank vigorously. "There never yet was a Racer who was a quitter, and you're not going to begin. I said we'd stick it out, and we will. We won't give up just because those fellows laughed at us. They'd have some excuse for calling us dubs then. No, sir, we'll stick it out, and if there's any possible way of it I'm going to row those Waterside fellows and beat 'em, too!"
"It isn't possible, Frank."
"I don't care, I'm going to stick, just the same."
"Well, there's some excuse for you."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that you are older than I am, and you've made more friends already."
"More? Why you've got as many friends as I have."
"There's Miss Morton, and——"
"Oh, cut it out. Is that what's eating you? Say, I thought you looked a bit down in the gills. Now look here, she's got a friend, Miss Knox, and I'll introduce you to her."
"Aw, I don't want to meet any girls," protested Andy with a blush.
"That's all right, you've got to meet her. I promised Miss Morton I'd call on her some night this week. I'm going to have a look at those bonds and then I'm going to see what dad can do about them. I heard that old Thorny made another demand on the widow for the money and she's at her wits' end. I'm going to see Gertrude, and you're coming."
"Oh, I am, eh?" asked Andy rather sarcastically.
"Yes, and you're going to meet her friend. She's going to be there—Gertrude told me so."
"Seems to me you're getting quite familiar on short acquaintance—calling her by her front handle."
"Cut it out, I know what I'm doing."
The two brothers rowed on in silence until they came in sight of the ruined boathouse of Riverview Hall. Then Andy remarked:
"There's Jack and Ward. Going to tell them?"
"Sure," answered his brother. "I want to make a proposition to them."
"What kind?"
"You'll soon hear. I've made up my mind to one thing, and that is, if it's at all possible, Riverview is going to have a racing crew if it's only a four-oared shell."
"Good for you!" cried Andy as he helped his brother to make fast Bill Spalter's boat.
"Where have you fellows been?" demanded Jack Sanderson. "We were looking for you."
"Just for a little jaunt," answered Frank, "and we had quite an experience, too," and he proceeded to relate the particulars of the run-in with the Waterside boys.
"I didn't know they were that kind of chaps," commented Andy.
"They're snobs, of the worst kind," declared Jade. "It didn't use to be so, when Riverview was in her glory. Then our boys used to put it all over those chaps. But now it's different," and he shook his head mournfully.
"Much different," added Ward.
"But why need it be?" asked Frank quickly. "I'm sure there is as good material here as in that school," and he waved his hand down the river. "Why can't we get up a rowing crew? There is still time enough this season. Maybe we could challenge Waterside Hall."
"Where's the money to come from?" asked Jack. "Who'll support the crew?"
"And where's the crew to come from?" asked Ward.
"If we only went in for a four-oared shell it wouldn't take much of a crew," said Frank quickly. "Andy and I are in training, and from what I've seen of you and Jack, you are also. We four could give a good account of ourselves I fancy. Do they have a four-oared varsity shell at Waterside?"
"Yes. Some of the fellows in the eight row in the four—the same ones you had the run-in with to-day."
"Then they are some rowers—believe me," spoke Andy with conviction. "But I'm willing."
"I would like to go in for it!" said Ward decidedly. "I wonder if we could manage it?"
Eagerly the four lads talked it over as they walked up to the school buildings. Frank and Andy were more eager than their companions, perhaps for the reason that the stagnant blood of Riverview had not yet had its effect on them. Jack and Ward would have been glad to see even one four-oared shell carrying the colors of their school, but they did not understand how it could be managed.
"If Riverview was a richer school, or if there was more of a school spirit here, we could do it easily," said Jack.
"Even without the spirit that could soon be brought out if some rich man would endow the school heavily," suggested Ward.
"Well, I'm going to find some way to have a crew," declared Frank determinedly as they parted to go to their respective rooms. "You fellows come and see us to-night and I may have a plan."
As Frank and Andy were about to enter their apartment they were passed in the corridor by Professor Thorndyke Callum. The crabbed teacher did not see them, or, if he did, he took no notice of them. He was speaking to Professor Dickson.
"I have to go away this evening," Mr. Callum was saying. "I shall leave you in charge of this dormitory, Professor. And I warn you that there are a number of unruly spirits here. In particular look out for those two Racer lads."
"Hum!" murmured Frank, as he slid into his room. "We may give you plenty of excuse for saying that, Thorny, before we get through with you." The next words of the crabbed instructor came to Frank as a shock.
"I have to go to Dailsburg on some money matters," went on Mr. Callum. "I am trying to collect an outstanding debt, and I fear I shall have to take strenuous measures."
"By Jove! He's going to annoy Gertrude and her mother again!" whispered Frank to his brother. "I'm going to stop that business!"
"How are you going to do it? You can't go out and have a row with Callum, now."
"I know it, but I can go to Dailsburg myself and tell Mrs. Morton that dad will take charge of her financial affairs. Dad will make Thorny know what's what, and teach him to let a poor widow and her daughter alone. I'm going to Dailsburg."
"Good for you!" exclaimed Andy. "I'm with you. We'll run the guard right after supper."
But Andy and Frank were not to get away as soon as they hoped to. They hurried to their room after the evening meal, dispensed with study that evening and made preparations for getting quietly out of school. This was against the rules, but they knew Mr. Callum was not on guard.
"Professor Dickson will be easy," was Frank's opinion. "He'll probably keep to his room all evening working on some mathematical problem. We can get out and back again before he knows it. Come on, Andy."
There sounded a cautious knock on their door—the knock of Jack or Ward, given in the usual signal code. Frank swung the portal.
"Hurray! Good news!" cried Jack, for it was he and his chum who stood in the hall.
"What's up?" demanded Andy.
"The millionaire has come," whispered Ward as he slipped in after Jack. "Mr. Pierson Lairman, who is an old grad of Riverview, reached here to-night. He's the one I was telling you about who is going to invest a lot of money in the school. It means the solution of Dr. Doolittle's financial troubles and it means that the old school will take on new life."
"Yes, and it means that we can have a crew, a nine, and a football eleven!" added Jack. "We just heard the news and came to tell you. Mr. Lairman is in Dr. Doolittle's study now. He brought a black bag with him. I wouldn't wonder but what it was stuffed with greenbacks. Wow! Isn't it great! Now we don't have to worry about getting a shell. Let's talk about the new crew! I'll row now!"