CHAPTER XVIII
THE CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
"Riverview lads this way!"
"Over here, Waterside!"
"Ready for a rush!"
"Sweep 'em off their feet!"
These were the rallying cries that followed the momentary lull in the fighting. The students, who had their second wind, were preparing for a rush that might have had serious results, when suddenly there came a deluge of water. A spray of white shot into the air amid a puffing sound and descended in a drenching shower on the fighting crowd.
"Gee! it's raining!"
"Wow! I'm soaked!"
"It's the fire engines! They're turning the hose on us!"
These yells were substituted for the battle cries. And it was true, two powerful fire engines were squirting heavy streams on the belligerents.
It was the most effective measure that could have been taken. The chief of police, summoned by spectators of the big fight, and knowing that with his few men he could not cope with hundreds of excited students, had thought of the fire apparatus.
"It will disperse them quicker than anything else, and I won't have to disgrace them by making any arrests. Turn on plenty of water," said the chief.
And he had been obeyed. From two sides, taking them in front and at the rear, the engines played until gasping, choking, struggling to maintain their footing under the force of the streams, seeking to find a dry place, the fighting students turned and ran for cover.
"Riverview this way!" shouted Frank. "To the trolleys!"
"Over here, Waterside!" came the answering call.
"I guess they've had enough of river and water to-night," chuckled the chief of police. "My! that was hot while it lasted! What was it all about?" he asked of some of the bystanders who had been to the lecture and had seen the start of the row.
"Oh, it seems that Riverview challenged Waterside to a rowing race, and the Waterside lads sent back an insulting answer."
"Are they afraid to row the Riverview crowd?" asked the chief.
"It looks so," was the reply.
"It must be," said another man. "But I don't see what they're afraid of. Riverview hasn't much of a crew of late years."
"Still Waterside seems afraid," came the retort.
Thus was sown a little seed that was destined to bear much fruit and bring about a closer relation of the two schools.
The talk of the chief and his friends was heard in the crowd and was repeated. From mouth to mouth the news flew:
"Waterside was afraid to row Riverview and that started the fight." This rumor spread, gaining at each telling until it was heard by the retreating lads from the school that had insulted our heroes' crew.
"Afraid of those dubs?" cried one indignant and dripping Waterside lad. "Not on your life!"
"Then why don't you row them?" asked someone.
"They're not in our class."
"You're afraid, I guess."
"We are not."
"Then give them a race. That's the best way to prove it."
"Oh, what do you know about it, anyhow?" and with this rather ungracious retort the school lad hurried away to join his fellows.
"Humph! I know enough to know when some people aren't getting a square deal," said the man. "But Marsden certainly had her share of excitement to-night. I guess I'll go to bed."
While the lads from Waterside were making their way to their meeting-place, which they had agreed upon when leaving the trolleys to go to the lecture, the boys from the rival school were also congregating in readiness for going back to their dormitories. In consequence there was no further clash between the factions, for which Frank and Andy were glad.
"Say, what is this bunch, anyhow?" asked the conductor, as the wet and dripping boys piled aboard his car. "Are you from some swimming school?"
"No, we've just been showing the lads from Waterside how to behave," spoke Andy.
"Well, climb aboard, then," said the conductor. "But don't get any more water in the car than you can help."
It was a wet and weary crowd of students that alighted at Riverview Hall a little later. Some were bruised from the conflict with their rivals, many had fallen down and received cuts, while others were shivering from their damp and soaked clothes. It was little consolation to know that Waterside Hall students were in the same condition.
"Did you hear how one man was rigging a fellow from Waterside about them being afraid to row us?" asked Andy of Frank, as they sat shivering in a corner of the car.
"I sure did, but I don't think it will amount to much."
"Not unless we can scare those fellows into giving us a race. How's your nose?"
"Oh, it hurts. How's your leg?"
"I can walk on it, but that's about all. I'll be dead lame to-morrow. Some fellow gave me a fierce kick."
Then followed an exchange of experiences, in which the lads told how they had been hurt and how they had given good returns in exchange.
Fortunately, when they reached the school, Professor Callum was in Dr. Doolittle's room, consulting him, and so the unpopular instructor did not see the bedraggled group of students arrive. They hurried to their apartments and got into dry clothes.
Of course the next day the authorities at Riverview heard about the riot. But as there were no individual complaints, and as no special student's name was mentioned, no action was taken.
Dr. Doolittle contented himself with cautioning the boys about getting into conflicts with students from other schools. To this Professor Callum could not help adding a word. He said he thought he would be able to pick out the ring-leaders, and he warned them that unless they mended their ways they would be expelled.
"He means us," said Andy to Frank, as they filed out of the chapel.
"Well, what's the odds?" asked the older lad. "He daren't make any open remarks." So they let it go at that.
Meanwhile there was much disturbance at Waterside. The lad who had been taunted by the man in the crowd told his story, and there were storms of protest at the implied accusation.
"We're not afraid to row them!" declared the captain of the four.
"Then why don't you do it?" Tom Crawford wanted to know.
"They're not in our class."
"That's a poor excuse. If you can beat them do it good and proper. Then they won't want another race. Row 'em, is what I say."
"Same here!" came from a number of others, until the 'varsity four, for very shame's sake, was obliged to agree.
"Well, we'll accept their challenge," declared the captain of the four, after a hot discussion several days following the riot. "We'll give 'em a race, but it will be a walkover for us."
"Don't be too sure," said Tom Crawford, who had watched the improvised crew of Riverview on the river.
The surprise of Frank and his chums may be imagined when, a couple of days later, they received a communication from Waterside. It was brief, but to the point.
"If you still wish to enter into a race with us," the letter said, "we will accept your challenge. Our committee will meet with one from your school to arrange details."
"If you still wish to enter into a race with us," the letter said, "we will accept your challenge. Our committee will meet with one from your school to arrange details."
"Well, wouldn't that jiggle your oars!" cried Andy.
"It puts 'em just where we want 'em, though," declared Jack.
"Yes, I guess we'll have a race after all," said Frank. "That free-for-all fight wasn't so bad as it seemed."
Soon the news of the coming race had spread all over Riverview Hall.