ishly, flinging his scarf and sweater anyhow into his locker and his
dirty rowing boots violently after them. "I don't care a fig whether we
win or lose," he growled. "I'm sick of being hectored by a coach who
never was an oar, and a stroke who knows about as much about rowing as
my grandmother."

"Shut up, Monty!" replied another member of the crew good-naturedly.
"Another week and it will be all over, and we shall be at the Head of
the River for the first time--what?"

The thought of Benson's first victory in its history seemed, if
anything, to incense Montgomery still more, for he glared angrily at
Durend's set face and went on: "It's always _my_ time or _my_ swing
that's wrong, too, when everyone used to say that I was the best oar in
the school. Bah! it's to cover up his own faults that he's always
blaming me. For two pins I'd resign, Durend; and I will, too, if you're
not a deal more careful."

"You needn't," replied Durend shortly, but with a significance that was
not lost upon those present.

"What d'ye mean?" demanded Montgomery.

"You're no longer in the crew."

"What! _You_ turn me out? I'll take that from Benson, and from no one
else, my boy!"

"Mr. Benson has left it to me, and I say you're no longer in the crew,"
replied Durend coldly, and with no hint of triumph in his voice. He
knew, in fact, that his action was probably the death-knell of all the
hopes of his crew.

Montgomery's face blazed with passion, and he sprang violently upon
Durend and struck fiercely at him. The two boys nearest grasped him and
dragged him back, though not before he had left his mark in an
angry-looking blotch upon the left cheek of his former chief. Through it
all Durend said no word. He merely defended himself, looking, indeed, as
though only half his mind were present, his interest in the matter being
far out-weighed by concern for the threatened destruction of his beloved
crew, the object of his deepest thoughts and hopes for a period of six
crowded weeks.

The incident closed, for, Montgomery's first anger over, he saw the
foolishness of making so much of losing a seat he had all along affected
to despise. The crew dispersed, and soon the affair was the talk of the
whole school. Benson's--the favourites--crippled by the loss of their
Seven on the very eve of the race! Stroke and Seven at blows! Stroke
licked, and no doubt spoiled for the race! The news, soon distorted out
of all recognition, provided Hawkesley