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" punk; wasn't it?"

"Regular ice wagon as far as we were concerned."

"I didn't think they had that spurt in 'em."

"And yet we seemed to be rowing pretty well. I guess it takes more than one season to make a winning eight."

Silence followed these discouraging observations on the part of the four inseparables as they sat in their room the evening following the beating of the first and second shells by the Boxer Hall crew. There had been a meeting of the coaches with the Randall rowers immediately after coming off the water, and several plans had been talked over, involving a shifting of the crews. But in the end it was decided to wait another day or so.

There was no disputing the fact that Randall had expected at least the varsity boat to keep up to, if not beat, their rival. And they had failed. It was a bitter pill to swallow, with the time of the regatta so close at hand.