Page:Stanwood Pier--Crashaw brothers.djvu/110

92 would be serious. Edward looked on with bated breath and wished that Sheldon would  shift to the safer method, hand over hand;  that in itself for such a distance was hard  enough.

But Sheldon did not change; he went springing on indefatigably right up to the  top, and when he had reached it the spectators broke out into clapping. He paused there only long enough to turn so that he faced  the other inclined ladder; then he leaped  towards it, rung by rung, and came down it  rapidly in the same fashion. When he dropped to the floor, he turned a handspring on a mattress, came up, and blew a kiss to the admiring and applauding youngsters.

Edward heard Mr. Barclay say to Mr. Elwood, “He’s a wonderful athlete; pity he has n’t any brains.”

Perhaps that was true, thought Edward—yet he wished he were able to do that! And having witnessed such a performance, he was  considerably more sympathetic with Sheldon’s  casual treatment of the crew candidates. To