ddle of July could row a mile in twelve
minutes; a month before we could only do that in twenty minutes.
Sometimes Mr Clare and the captain took oars in our boat; at other
times they rowed against us in the Captain's punt. That was glorious
fun, and how we fellows did strive to beat our tutors, and often came
very near it too--so near that we determined, if there was any merit in
TRY, to do it yet.

One night--it was about the 2nd of June, if my memory serves me--when we
had gone up to our rooms for bed, and got undressed, Walter, who had
been very quiet ever since our row in the afternoon when our tutors
contended with and beat us as usual, called us to order, that we might
organise, he said, as a regular boat club. We answered, "Good!"
"Good!" and each boy, putting a pillow on his footboard, took a
senatorial seat--each boy arrayed in the flowing cotton nightgown. When
silence ensued, Walter addressed us in his energetic, determined way,
but lowered his voice that not a whisper of our deliberations might
reach the ears of Mr Clare, who was only separated from us by a
partition.

"Fellows, we _must_ beat our tutes--we _must_ beat them, that is what I
say. Let's get our boat in good order immediately--let's call her the
_Pupil_--let's row every day, but not alongside of our adversary--no,
no!--but where we can't be seen, and for two hard hours each day. And I
move we have a coxswain, and that Bob be the boy--he is small, quick,
and cool. Let's challenge our tutes to-morrow for a race."

"Agreed--agreed! hurrah!" we all shouted.

"For a race, I say, on, let me see, the anniversary of the glorious
battle of Waterloo."

"Grand! splendid! hurrah!" were our interruptions again, and Drake
expressed his delight by taking the pillow from beneath him, and
slinging it with tremendous speed at Alf Higginson's head, who in
consequence fell off his perch like a dead squirrel from a pine-tree.
Alf fell heavily on his side, and we roared with laughter; but he was up
in a moment, and rushed at Drake with a bolster. Walter, our dignified
chairman, swooped down from his perch in a second, and catching the
incensed Alfred by the extremity of his flying robe, slung him under a
bed.

"Order! Order, boys!" he cried. "Pretty fellows you are to hold a
meeting. You, Drake! pitch any more pillows, and we'll slide you out of
the window. There, stop your racket! Mr Clare is up. Before he comes
hurry up and say, all together, `