h the schoolhouse flag in the prow. It
came along at a fair pace, but with nothing like the style which had
marked the Parretts' boat.

The crew consisted of Fairbairn, Porter, Coates, and Gilks, with
Crossfield steering: the first time a complete schoolhouse crew had
appeared on the river this year.

The blood of the young Parretts was up, and the credit of their house
was in question.

"Put it on now," said Parson to his men, as the schoolhouse boat came
up. "Show 'em what you can do! Now then, slide into it! Race 'em!"

And the young heroes laid into their work and made Noah's Ark forge
along at an unwonted pace. Parson busily encouraged them, varying his
exhortations by occasional taunts addressed to the other boat.

"Now then," he shouted, "two to one on us. Come on, you there, jolly
schoolhouse louts--"

"Parson, I'll fight you if you say it again," interposed Telson by way
of parenthesis.

"Oh, beg pardon, old man. Pull away, you fellows! Parretts for ever!
No Riddell for us! Three cheers for Bloomfield! You're gaining, you
fellows. Oh, well pulled indeed our boat!"

The schoolhouse boat had slackened speed, and paddling gently alongside,
was taking careful note of these audacious youngsters, who, puffing and
plunging along, fully believed they were beating the picked four of the
rival house by their own prowess.

The big boys seemed amused on the whole, and good-humouredly kept up the
semblance of a race for about half a mile, taking care to give the
challenging crew a wide berth.

At last, after about ten minutes had been spent in this way, and when
the young champions were all, except Parson, fairly exhausted,
Crossfield took out his watch and said to his crew, winking as he did
so, "Time we turned, you fellows; it's five o'clock. Easy all, pull bow
side! back water, stroke!"

And so saying, the schoolhouse boat suddenly turned round and started
off at a smart pace down stream, where it was soon out of reach of the
parting taunts and opprobrious noises which Parson, for the credit of
his house, continued to hurl at its crew till they were beyond earshot.

Then it suddenly began to occur to these elated young navigators that if
it had been time for the four-oar to turn three minutes ago it was
possibly time for them to turn also.

"What did he say the time was?" asked King.

"Five o'clock!" said Lawkins.

"Five o'clock! and call-over is at 5:20! We can't do it in the time!"
excl