"Not you!" said Hardy; "only remember. Don't you fancy you can pull the boat by yourself, and go to trying to do it. There's where young oars fail. If you keep thorough good time you'll be pretty sure to be doing your share of work. Time is everything, almost." "I'll be sure to think of that," said Tom; and they entered St. Ambrose just as the chapel bell was going down; and he went to chapel and then to hall, sitting by and talking for companionship while the rest dined. And so at last the time slipped away, and the Captain and Miller mustered them at the gates and walked off to the boats. A dozen other crews were making their way in the same direction, and half the undergraduates of Oxford streamed along with them. The banks of the river were crowded; and the punts plied rapidly backwards and forwards, carrying loads of men over to the Berkshire side. The university barge, and all the other barges, were decked with flags, and the band was playing lively airs as the St. Ambrose crew reached the scene of action. No time was lost in the dressing-room, and in two minutes they were all standing in flannel trousers and silk jerseys at the landing-place. "You had better keep your jackets on," said the Captain; "we sha'n't be off yet." "There goes Brazen-nose." "They look like work, don't they?" "The black and yellow seems to slip along so fast. They're no end of good colors. I wish our new boat was black." "Hang her colors, if she's only stiff in the back, and don't dip." "Well, she didn't dip yesterday; at least, the men on the bank said so." "There go Baliol, and Oriel, and University." "By Jove, we shall be late! Where's Miller?" "In the shed, getting the boat out. Look, here's Exeter." The talk of the crew was silenced for the moment as every man looked eagerly at the Exeter boat. The Captain nodded to Jervis with a grim smile as they paddled gently by. Then the talk began again, "How do you think she goes?" "Not so badly. They're very strong in the middle of the boat." "Not a bit of it; it's all lumber." "You'll see. They're better trained than we are. They look as fine as stars." "So they ought. They've pulled seven miles to our five for the last month, I'm sure." "Then we sha'n't bump them." "Why not?" "Don't you know that the value of products consist in the quantity of labor which goes to produce them? Product pace over course from Iffley up. Labor expended, Exeter 7; St. Ambrose, 5. You see it is not in the nature of things that we should bump them--Q.E.D." "What moonshine! as if ten miles behind their stroke are worth two behind Jervis!" "My dear fellow, it isn't my moonshine; you must settle the matter with the philosophers. I only apply a universal law to a particular case." Tom, unconscious of the pearls of economic lore which were being poured out for the benefit of the crew, was watching the Exeter eight as it glided away towards the Cherwell. He thought they seemed to keep horribly good time.