heets, I stood
down the lake, close to the wind, until I had brought my pursuer
astern of me. I then brought the Splash up into the wind, and coolly
waited for the row-boat to come up within hailing distance.

Mr. Parasyte, deceived by my position, thought his time had come. He
was much excited, and with renewed zeal pressed his oarsmen to
increase their efforts. When he had approached within a few rods of
me, I put up the helm, and dashed away again towards the pier. Again I
distanced him, and ran as near to the pier as I dared to go, fearful
that I might lose the wind under the lee of a bluff below the school
grounds. The boys hailed me with a cheer, which must have been
anything but soothing to the feelings of Mr. Parasyte. Then, "wing and
wing," I ran off before the wind; and, still unwilling to deprive my
friends of the excitement of witnessing the race, I again stood out
towards the middle of the lake.

The principal could not give up the pursuit without abandoning the
high position he had taken, and subjecting himself to the derision of
the students. He followed me, therefore, and I led him over the same
course he had gone before. On my return I unfortunately ran in a
little too near the shore, and got under the lee of the bluff, which
nearly becalmed me. I realized that I had made a fatal blunder, and I
wished I had disappointed the boys, and continued on my course across
the lake, where the wind favored me. I tried to scull the Splash out
of the still water before Mr. Parasyte came up.

"Pull with all your might, men!" said the principal, excitedly; and
they certainly did so.

Seeing that he was upon me, I attempted to come about, and run off
before the wind; but I had lost my steerage-way. I suppose I was
somewhat "flurried" by the danger of my situation, and did not do as
well as I might have done.

"Pull! Pull!" shouted Mr. Parasyte, nervously, as he steered the
row-boat.

Thus urged, the men did pull better than I had ever known them to do
before. The principal of the Parkville Liberal Institute was no
boatman himself, and his calculations were miserably deficient, or
else his intentions were more vicious than I had given him credit for.
He was angry and excited; and as I looked at him, it seemed to me that
he did not know what he was about. The Splash lay broadside to him.
She was a beautiful craft, built light and graceful, rather than
strong and substantial. On the other hand, the row-boat was a