Page:Stanwood Pier--Crashaw brothers.djvu/240

220 harder and harder, and at last, what with the way my lungs and heart were pumping, it  seemed as if I just could n’t pull another stroke. But I did pull a little longer, and then suddenly I collapsed; our coxswain threw water on me and that brought me to, and I made  another stab with my oar and caught cramps  in my arms and my legs, and then I don’t  know—I just seemed to die.”

“It must have been ghastly,” said Edward.

“This is almost the worst of it,” answered Charles. “To face the crowd and know that I’m the one! I guess I’ve been too lucky while I’ve been here; I guess maybe it’s a  good thing something like this happened to  me at the last.” He was silent while he finished lacing up his shoe. Then he stood up and took Edward’s arm and said, “Well, old  man, you got even with me for that football  game, didn’t you?”

“I know now just how you felt when you said you did n’t enjoy winning that game a  bit,” said Edward softly.

“Ah, but you ought n’t to feel that way.