apart from the other, are anxiously waiting
the firing of the third, which is the signal for starting. That strong
splendid-looking young man, whose arms are bared to the shoulder, and
"the muscles all a-ripple on his back," is almost quivering with anxious
expectation. The very instant the sound of the gun reaches his ear,
those oar-blades will flash like lightning into the water, and "smite
the sounding furrows" with marvellous regularity and speed. He is the
favourite, and there are some heavy bets on his success; Bruce and
Brogten and Lord Fitzurse will be richer or poorer by some twenty pounds
each from the result of this quarter of an hour.

The three are standing together on the towing-path opposite that little
inn where the river suddenly makes a wide bend, and where, if the rush
of men were not certain to sweep them forward, they might see a very
considerable piece of the race. But directly the signal is given, and
the boats start, everybody will run impetuously at full speed along the
banks to keep up with the boats, and cheer on their own men, and it will
be necessary for our trio to make the best possible use of their legs,
before the living cataract pours down upon them. Indeed, they would not
have been on the towing-path at all, but among the rather questionable
occupants of the grass plot before the inn on the other side of the
river, were it not for their desire to run along with the boats, and
inspirit the rowers on whom they have betted.

But what is this? A great odious slow-trailing barge looms into sight,
nearly as broad as the river itself, black as the ferrugineous ferryboat
of Charon, and slowly dragged down the stream by two stout cart horses,
beside which a young bargee is plodding along in stolid independence.

"Hi! hi! you clodhopper there, stop that infernal barge," shouted Bruce
at the top of his voice, knowing that if the barge once passed the
winning posts, the race would be utterly spoilt.

"St-t-t-topp there, you cl-l-lown, w-w-will you," stuttered Fitzurse
more incoherent than usual, with indignation.

The young bargee either didn't hear these apostrophes, or didn't choose
to attend to them, when they were urged in that kind of way; and besides
this, as the men were entirely concealed from his view by the curve of
the river, he wasn't aware of the coming race, and therefore saw no
reason to obey such imperious mandates.

"Confound the grimy idiot; doesn't he hear?" said Bru