CHAPTER VIII
OVER THE RIVER
"Say, but you fellows have this room fixed up in great shape!" complimented Jack Sanderson.
"Yes, it's pippy!" declared Ward Platt after another glance around the apartment. They had called on Frank and Andy in the permanent apartment that had been assigned to them, and their expressions of admiration were called forth by the various ornaments and pictures with which the Racer boys had decorated their study.
"Yes, it's sort of so-so," admitted Frank. "We brought these things with us, and we thought we might as well stick them up. It makes it sort of home-like."
"I should say it did," agreed Jack, as he looked at a pair of fencing foils.
"Do you use these?" asked Ward, indicating two pairs of boxing gloves.
"Oh, Frank and I put them on for fun once in a while," admitted Andy.
"You may need 'em if Gerald Welter keeps his word and gets into a fight with you," said Jack with a smile at Frank.
"Oh, I'm not worrying. But I haven't seen him lately. Where has he been?"
This was several days after the rescue of Tom Crawford from the river, and during the interim our heroes had settled down into the life and ways of Riverview Hall.
"Oh, Welter," answered Ward. "I heard he went off on a little spree with Luke Moss. They came in late and were caught by Thorny. He made them stay in their rooms three days."
"So, that's the how of it," commented Frank. "Thorny seems to be right on the job."
"You'd have thought so if you'd seen him bullying that little Miss Morton," commented Andy. "By the way, Frank, what did she have to say to you that day you met her?"
"Yes, and who was the pretty girl with her?" Jack wanted to know.
"That was Grace Knox," said Frank, "and Miss Morton was telling me about her money troubles with Thorny. It's a shame, and I'm going to see if dad can't do something about those bonds," he added to his brother, when he had related the circumstances.
"I believe he could," declared Andy. "It's worth trying, anyhow. But say, speaking of money matters, when is that millionaire coming here to invest in Riverview stock?" he asked of Jack. "I wish he'd hurry up, for if we're going to have any money to spend on the gridiron or in getting a racing shell we'd better do it before cold weather sets in."
"I haven't heard anything about that lately," replied Jack. "But I don't believe it will pan out in time for this year. We used to row pretty late on the river though, much later than is usual at other schools or colleges. We have a fine course here."
"But no boats," said Frank regretfully. "Well, I've got to do some boning. Don't let me stop the talk though; go right on."
"No, we've got to go," announced Jack. "I'm not as well up on to-morrow's Latin as I ought to be." Thereupon the two visitors took their departure and Frank and Andy did some studying.
"I'm going for a row to-morrow afternoon," said the elder lad, after a period of silence. "Want to come?"
"What are you going to row in?"
"Bill Spalter said I could take his boat. It isn't so bad, though it's awful slow and heavy. I'd almost go rowing in a tub, just to get on the water again."
"So would I. I'm with you."
Jack and Ward had some lessons to make up the next day, and could not join our heroes. Frank and Andy hastened down to the river, the waters of which were sparkling in the sun.
"Gee, but it's a fine day!" exclaimed Andy. "I'd like to have some fun."
"With—er—lobsters, for instance?" asked Frank with a sly smile, referring to the time when a joke was turned on his brother, as related in "The Racer Boys."
"Not on your life—no! But say with that bully Welter. I saw him to-day, and he sneered at me."
"He didn't try to make you tip your cap, did he?"
"I should say not! I'd have tackled him if he had, though he's bigger than I am."
"Leave him to me," said Frank significantly.
They rowed leisurely down the river, for they had finished their lessons early that day and had several hours to themselves.
"This is a clumsy old tub, but it's great to be out in even this," said Frank. "Oh, if we only had our boats here!"
"I wonder if we couldn't send for them?" ventured Andy.
"It's a little too late this year, but if we stay I've a good notion to do it. Pull a little on your left, we're drifting too near the bank."
Andy did as requested, and, as he looked over his shoulder to see the course, he uttered an exclamation.
"Here comes the Waterside eight! Look how they pull! I wonder if Tom Crawford is in it?"
"That isn't a freshman shell," declared Frank.
"Why not?"
"Freshmen can't row like that. It must be the varsity. I believe it is! Say, they're all right," and Frank paused in his rowing to gaze admiringly at the oncoming shell. Truly it was a pretty sight.
Nearer and nearer it came at a swift pace. Unconsciously both Andy and Frank ceased rowing and their boat drifted with the current. They were nearer the oncoming shell than they realized, especially since the coxswain changed his course slightly to avoid a floating log.
Suddenly above the voice of the steersman monotonously counting the strokes there came a cry.
"Hey, you fellows! Look where you're going! Do you want us to run you down?" The hail came from the shell, and the tones were almost insulting.
"Gee! Wearepretty close," said Andy in some alarm. "Pull over, Frank."
The two lads dipped their oars in the water, but the current had them in more of a grip than they counted on. The rowers from Waterside had not ceased their swift strokes and the knife-like shell was fairly tearing through the water.
"Look out! Look out!" yelled several of the scantily-clad rowers. The shell was between the heavy drifting log and the big clumsy rowboat containing Frank and Andy. To steer the shell very much to either side, at the rate it was going, would mean almost certain capsizing.
"What ails you boobs, anyhow?" howled the coxswain. "You ought not to be allowed on the river without a nurse. Get off our course!"
The men had ceased rowing but the shell was still shooting forward under its momentum. A flush came to Frank's tanned face.
"We've got as good a right on this river as you have!" he cried.
"They're from Riverview!" cried a rower. "Soak 'em!"
"Pull away," advised Andy in a low voice.
But it was too late. On came the shell. The rowboat was rapidly drifting and in spite of the efforts of the brothers the two craft came together broadside. There was a splintering of wood and the oar of the bow rower was smashed. The shell careened violently.
"Look out! We're going to capsize!" yelled the excited lads, while the coxswain hurled a volley of abuse at Frank and Andy.