"That's what he is," nodded Creighton. "He is running over with the true Yale spirit. I tell you, my boy, Old Yale bears mighty men! Come, let's kill this bottle of fizz, which I got off the ice expressly for Merriwell, confound him!" Then they lost little time in opening the bottle and swallowing its sparkling contents. Bob Collingwood was overwhelmed with congratulations. He said very little before the crowd, but to a particular friend he declared: "It is one of the marvels of the year that we won to-day. Harvard outrowed us for fully three-quarters of the course, and she would have finished in the lead if her crew had been as stocky as ours. Their stroke is easier on a man than ours." "Then you acknowledge at last that the Oxford stroke is superior to the American?" eagerly questioned the friend. "I have acknowledged nothing yet, but I fear I'll be forced to." The jubilant fellows were making the boathouse ring with songs of victory. About twenty flushed lads were roaring: "How can they ever beat us-- How can they beat Old Yale? We down 'em when they meet us, You bet we never fail! We've got 'em so they fear us In every contest fair; And soon they'll not come near us, Because they will not dare. CHORUS: "Then give us a cheer for Old Eli-- A cheer for our gallant crew; She has won, and she wins forever, With her noble boys in blue. "Poor Harvard falls before us, She is not in the game; So swell the merry chorus, Old Eli's won again! It was a gallant battle, My boys who wear the blue; But you they cannot rattle, No matter what they do." There were other songs, and in the midst of all this rejoicing a crowd of pretty girls, accompanied by chaperons, came into the boathouse. Among them was Winnie Lee, who lost no time in finding Frank and congratulating him. "I knew you would win, Frank--I knew you would!" she exclaimed, her bright eyes sparkling. "Why, you are talking as if I rowed the whole race!" he said, laughing and blushing. "Well, I'm sure they'd never won without you," she declared. "That's like a girl! Of course Yale would have won anyhow! How can they beat us?" At this moment Collingwood came up, accompanied by a gentleman who carried a case in his hand. "Here, Merry, old boy," cried the captain of the crew, "I've brought a doctor to look after that hand of yours." "What is the matter with your hand?" asked Winnie, anxiously. "Oh, nothing much," assured Frank, carelessly. "Nothing much, only there is a bad felon on it," said Collingwood. "A felon? And you rowed with a felon on your hand? Oh, Frank!" Winnie looked at him with added admiration showing in her eyes.