Page:Castlemon--Joe Wayring at Home.djvu/295

 "There are too many raw recruits among us."

"We'll wait and give them a pull for something at the next canoe meet," said Tom.

"You don't expect to enter for any of the prizes next summer, do you?"

"Of course I do," replied Tom, "and so do my cousins. We have sent to New London for a rowing machine, and intend to keep up our practice all winter."

"You might as well make kindling wood of that rowing machine when it comes to hand, for it will not do you any good as far as winning a prize from Joe Wayring is concerned," said Scott. "You can't race with him."

"I'll see how that is," answered Tom, who was thinking about one thing while Scott was thinking about another. "I was under the impression that when our new club was organized, it was the sentiment of the members that we were to challenge their best men for every thing. Before we can do that, it will be necessary to have a series of trial races among ourselves in order to determine who stand the best