Page:Boys of Columbia High on the River.djvu/80

70 from Clifford and Bellport. Frank had also discovered several whom he knew belonged to one or the other of the rival crews.

When he mentioned this fact to Coach Willoughby the other laughed and nodded.

"Come to get a line on what you boys can do," he remarked; "but we'll fool them nicely, all right, depend on it. Remember the stroke I told you, Frank. On no account go above it to-day; but in the race, when I give the signal, you can speed up."

He had been selected as the starter of the race. After that it was expected that he would return once more to his duties as Columbia's coach, keeping tabs of his wards by chasing along the river road on a motor-cycle, and shouting his suggestions through a megaphone.

The umpire would accompany the contestants on board a motor-boat, so as to watch every move made as much as possible. His was the duty to warn any man when a foul seemed in danger of being committed, and to remove any boat crew from the race in case a deliberate one was attempted that had a bearing on the result.

Scores of voices rang out here and there. The river itself was mostly given up to the practicing contestants, others being content to hug the shores, and slip out of the way when a team came dashing along like a streak.