But he seized the oar of one of the men who had weakened, and they came in second amid tremendous cheers. All had to admit, but for the breaking of Merrill’s oar, his boat would have led to the finish. In the double-scull race Bemis Perry, his roommate, was his partner, and, coached by Mark, the youth had become a strong and skillful oarsman. They dropped astern at the start, but pushed their three rivals hard apace, which began to tell in the end, and nearing the finish they slipped by, first one, then the other, and at last left the first-class men astern, winning by a strong and steady stroke. The following day the race came off for single sculls, and it was a foregone conclusion that Mark Merrill would win. When the word was given to go, Mark seemed not to hear it, but the others started off like arrows. Bemis Perry, Nazro, Dillingham, Clemmons, Ferd Randall, and half a dozen more were in the race, and they all started in a bunch, all except Mark. At last he started, crossing the line just in the nick of time to prevent being ruled out, and then seeming as though willing to give up as the others had such a long lead. “I’ll bet my hat he’s jockeying,” cried Bascomb, and as he spoke Mark’s oars went down with a mighty sweep, and his boat clove the waters like a knife. Randall was soon picked up, then came Neil Carroll, Harbor Driggs, Frank Latrobe, and the rear contingent were dropped astern. A second squadron was just ahead, and in it were Nazro, Dillingham, Swamsey, and Denton. They were at the turning-stake and Mark Merrill swept out beyond them, giving them ample room. But when they settled for the pull home it was seen that he had them astern, and he was rowing well, with long, tremendous strokes that did not seem to distress him. Ahead of him were three scullers, McNulty, the champion of the year before, with Bemis Perry and Scott Clemmons leading him by a length. Clemmons was gradually drawing ahead of Perry, but so slowly as to be almost imperceptible, and all had their eyes upon the tremendous strokes of the racer coming on astern. The excitement now grew intense ashore as Mark was seen to draw up even with McNulty. “He can never catch the leaders,” yelled Bascomb. “That boy is a wizard with the oars,” said a professor. Then all saw Mark deliberately rest his oars a second, raise his skull-cap to McNulty, and then shoot on toward the leaders. Such a yell as went up ashore made the buildings ring. Ahead Perry and Clemmons were struggling manfully, the latter bending every energy to defeat Merrill, whom he now had come to fear, for that raising of his cap to McNulty showed that he had confidence in his power to win. On they swept, Clemmons leading Perry half a length and Merrill three lengths behind the latter.