d I meant to lay you
off for Flemming, although I regretted doing so, as he has not been
working with us of late, and I felt that the change would weaken the
crew. When you told me square and straight that it would be no fault of
yours if the race were lost, I decided to keep you. After that I felt
that I was making an error, but it was too late to change. Now I know it
was no error, and I wish to say that I am sure you aided materially by
your splendid work to win."

Others of the crew came up. Merriwell was surrounded by friends and
admirers. Diamond whispered in his ear:

"You should be happy, old man, for you have triumphed over your enemies,
and the story of your heroic work will be known to all Yale by Monday."

Then Collingwood led Frank below for a rub down.

CHAPTER XIX.

THE YALE SPIRIT.

At the boathouse there was a scene of riotous jollification. It was
impossible to exclude the overjoyed friends of the crew. They crowded in
and expressed their unbounded delight in almost every imaginable manner.

There was a popping of corks, and "fizz" began to flow freely. Now that
the great race was over, the crew were no longer in training, and they
were allowed to drink as much of the wine as they liked. It was forced
upon them from all sides.

Merriwell was almost mobbed by the fellows who were determined that he
should drink champagne with them.

"You can't refuse now, old man!" shouted Charlie Creighton. "I saw it
all, and no one suspected there was anything the matter with you. Just
to think that you rowed the race with a felon on your hand! It is
marvelous! And I won a cool five hundred on Old Eli! Whoop! If you
refuse to take a drink of champagne with me I'll call you out and shoot
you through the liver pad!"

He was wildly waving a bottle of Mumm's about his head as he made this
excited speech.

But Merriwell did refuse, and he did it with a firmness that showed them
all that he could not be induced to drink.

"Queer chap, that Merriwell," commented Charlie Creighton, addressing
his chum, Paul Hamilton. "Never knew him very well, but I've seen enough
of him to know he's the clean white stuff even if he is a temperance
crank."

"In the year and a half that he has been here," said Hamilton, "he has
made a greater record in athletics than any other man ever made in twice
that time. And think of his rowing the race to-day with that hand, and
then fainting the moment he knew the line was cros