The captain made no objection, and the crowd broke for the float. They were none too soon. The launch was breasting the water a length out from the arch in midstream. Alongside, but still under the bridge, was Mac’s crew, an indistinct streak in the shadow. From the second arch inshore, the bow of the Trowbridge boat was just emerging. Ten seconds later, both boats were clear of the bridge, sweeping towards the finish line. No other crew was in sight. “Pull there, Westcott’s!” yelled Hutchins, as if he could reach the distant crew with his voice. “Hit it up, stroke!” Talbot said nothing, but his eyes were glued on the approaching boats, now hardly twenty strokes from the finish line. His heart was heavy with disappointment. He had expected much from this second crew. When doubts as to his own assailed him, his faith in Mac’s crew had never wavered. He had expected them to win their trial heat with ease, to make up in a measure for the chagrin the school would feel if the first only gained second place. “Gee! see ’em hit up the stroke!” cried Hutchins, suddenly gripping Pete’s arm and dancing in the water that flooded the float. “Look at ’em gain! That’s the way, Westcott’s! They can’t meet it! Look at their heads roll round! They’re all in. You’ve got ’em, Westcott’s. Hold ’em! Hold ’em!” At this point Hutchins broke off his wild ejaculations to splash across to a cluster of old Westcottites standing near the boat-house and lead a cheer. While the cheer rang out, Mike was counting the last half-dozen strokes, and urging his men to row them hard. His boat cut the finish line half a length ahead of Trowbridge, whose exhausted oarsmen fell forward upon their oars as the coxswain bade them cease rowing. The spurt had caught them with no surplus of strength to draw upon. After this there was no need of artificial diversion in the boat-house. The fellows on the second vowed that they had lots of strength left, that they were holding back so as to keep Trowbridge from pushing too hard, and that they could have kept the lead from the beginning if they had wanted to—all of which was believed because it was pleasant to believe. The exchange of questions and answers, explanations and congratulations absorbed every one’s attention until the toots of the launch again called the crowd forth to see the finish of the last heat of the seconds.