Andy Grant's Pluck 3
"I meant to compliment you, but if you don't like it I will take it
back. Suppose I say that you are neither modest nor unassuming."
"If that is the way you are going to talk to me I will go away," said
Conrad, haughtily. "It is a little imprudent, considering--"
"Considering what?"
"That my father can turn you all out at the end of two years."
"If that is the way you are going to talk to me I shall be glad to have
you go away, as you just threatened."
"Pride and poverty don't go together very well," said Conrad, provoked.
"I don't want to be either proud or poor," returned Andy, smiling.
"That fellow provokes me," thought Conrad. "However, he'll repent it
some time."
In five minutes his place was taken by Valentine Burns, an intimate
friend of Andy's. His father kept the village store, and was one of the
leading citizens of Arden.
"Hard at work, I see, Andy," he said.
"Don't you want to help me?"
"No, I'm too lazy. I have to work in the store out of school hours, you
know. Are you going to the picnic?"
"What picnic?"
"There's a Sunday-school picnic next Thursday afternoon. Both churches
unite in it. All the young people will be there. You would have heard of
it if you hadn't been absent at school."
"I will certainly go. There are so few amusements in Arden that I can't
afford to miss any. I suppose there will be the usual attractions?"
"Yes, and an extra one besides. There's a gentleman from the city
staying at the hotel, who has offered a prize of ten dollars to the boy
who will row across the pond in the shortest time."
"The distance is about half a mile, isn't it?"
"Yes; a little more."
"I suppose you will go in for the prize, Val. You have a nice boat to
practice in."
"No amount of practice would give me the prize. I don't excel as a
rower."
"Who is expected to win?"
"Conrad Carter confidently counts on securing the prize. There is no boy
in Arden that can compete with him, except--"
"Well, except whom?"
"Andy Grant."
"I don't know," said Andy, thoughtfully. "I can row pretty well--that
is, I used to; but I am out of practice."
"Why don't you get back your practice?"
"I have no boat."
"Then use mine," said Valentine, promptly.
"You are very kind, Val. How many days are there before the picnic?"
"Five. In five days you can accomplish a great deal."
"I should like to win the ten dollars. I want to go to the city and look
for a place, and I don't want to ask father for the money."
"Ten dollars would carry you there nicely, and give you a day or two to
look around."
"True; well, Val, I will accept your kind offer. Is Conrad practicing?"
"Yes; he is out every afternoon."
"I can't go till after supper."
"Then begin this evening. You know where I keep my boat. I will be at
the boathouse at half-past six, and you can meet me there."
"All right. You are a good friend, Val."
"I try to be, but it isn't all friendship."
"What else, then?"
"I want Conrad defeated. He is insufferable now, and if he wins the
prize he will be worse than ever."
Prospect Pond was a little distance out of the village. It was a
beautiful sheet of water, and a favorite resort for picnic parties.
Conrad Carter, Valentine Burns, and two or three other boys and young
men had boats there, and a man named Serwin kept boats to hire.
But the best boats belonged to Valentine and Conrad. It was rather
annoying to Conrad that any one should have a boat as good as his own,
but this was something he could not help. He consoled himself, however,
by reflecting that he was a better oarsman than Valentine.
He had been out practicing during the afternoon, accompanied by John
Larkin, a neighbor's son. John stood on the bank and timed him.
"Well, John, how do I row?" he asked, when he returned from his trial
trip.
"You did very well," said John.
"There won't be any one else that can row against me, eh?"
"I don't think of any one. Valentine has as good a boat--"
"I don't admit that," said Conrad, jealously.
"I would just as soon have his as yours," said John, independently; "but
he can't row with you."
"I should think not."
"Jimmy Morris is a pretty good rower, but he has no boat of his own, and
would have to row in one of Serwin's boats. You know what they are."
"He couldn't come up to me, no matter in what boat he rowed," said
Conrad.
"Well, perhaps not; I don't know."
"Well, you ought to know, John Larkin."
"My opinion's my own, Conrad," said John, manfully.
"All the same, you are mistaken."
"If Valentine would lend his boat to Jimmy we could tell better."
"He won't do it. He will want it himself," said Conrad.
"As matters stand now, I think you will win the prize."
"I think so myself."
It may be thought surprising that nothing was said of Andy Grant and
his chances, but, in truth, his boy friends in Arden had never seen him
row during the last two years.
As a matter of fact, he had been the champion oarsman of Penhurst
Academy, but this they did not know. During his vacations at home he had
done very little rowing, his time being taken up in other ways.
"I wonder whether Andy Grant can row?" said John Larkin.
Conrad laughed.
"He can hoe corn and potatoes better than he can row, I fancy," he said.
"He's a first-rate fellow," said Larkin, warmly.
"He's poor and proud, that's what he is. I called at the farm this
morning and he insulted me."
"Are you sure it wasn't the other way?"
"Look here, John Larkin, if you don't treat me with more respect I won't
associate with you."
"Do as you like," said John, independently. "I'd just as soon associate
with Valentine or Andy."
"My father can buy out both their fathers."
"That don't make you any the better fellow. Why are you so anxious to
win this prize? Is it the money you are after?"
"No. If I want ten dollars my father will give it to me. It isn't the
money, but the glory that I think of."
"If I had your practice I'd go in for it myself. I shouldn't mind
pocketing ten dollars."
"No doubt it would be welcome to you."
"Let me try your boat for a few minutes."
"You can have it for ten minutes."
"I would like it long enough to row over the course."
"You can have it that long. I'm going over it again myself as soon as I
have got rested from the last trial."
John Larkin got into the boat and rowed very creditably, but was soon
called in by the owner of the craft.
John began to ask himself what benefit he got from associating with
Conrad, who showed his selfishness on all occasions.
"I wish he would get beaten, after all," thought John; "but I don't know
who there is to do it. Valentine is only a passable rower, and Jimmy
Morris has no boat of his own."
Conrad came back in good spirits. He had beaten his former record by
three-quarters of a minute.
"I'm sure of the prize," he said, in exultation.
CHAPTER V.
THE BOAT RACE.
As Andy rowed only in the evening, and Conrad practiced in the
afternoon, it chanced that the coming rivals never met; nor was Conrad
aware that Andy proposed to dispute the prize with him.
Even at first Valentine was surprised and pleased to observe how Andy
handled the oars. Before the evening was over he demonstrated the fact
that he was a first-class oarsman, much to the satisfaction of his
friend.
"You must have had a good deal of practice at the gymnasium," said
Valentine.
"Yes; the director of the gymnasium, who is an all-around athlete, gave
the boys special instruction, by which we all profited. He was a
graduate of Harvard, and an old member of the University crew."
"That accounts for it. Your rowing has a style to it that Conrad cannot
show."
"Probably he has never had any instructions."
"Whatever he has accomplished has come by practice. He pulls a strong
oar, but there is a roughness and lack of smoothness about his work.
Still, he gets over the water pretty fast."
"And that counts. How does his speed compare with mine?"
"As you rowed to-night, I think the race would be a close one. But this
is only the first evening. Keep on practicing daily, and I will bet on
you every time."
Andy looked pleased.
"I am glad to hear you say this," he said. "I shall not row for glory,
but for the ten dollars, which I shall find very useful. You have a fine
boat, Val. How does Conrad's compare with yours?"
"I should hardly know how to choose between them. His boat is a fine
one, but mine is quite as good."
"And I suppose there is no other on the pond as fine."
"No; Serwin's boats are old style, and have been in use for years. If
you rowed in one of those against Conrad you would be sure to be
beaten."
"Then if I win I shall be indebted to you for the victory."
Valentine smiled.
"I should be glad to think I had anything to do with gaining the prize
for you, even indirectly; but it will be due in a large measure to your
own good rowing. Only, keep up your practicing."
"I will do so."
"I want you to win; and, besides, I want Conrad to lose. I hope he won't
hear anything of your entering the race."
Two days before the picnic Valentine happened to meet Conrad at his
father's store.
"Are you going to enter the boat race at the picnic?" asked the latter.
"I am not certain."
"You have the only boat that can compare with mine. Have you been
practicing any?"
"I have been rowing a little."
"I shall have to look out," said Conrad, but his manner did not indicate
apprehension. "Probably the prize will go either to you or me."
"Thank you for the compliment."
"Suppose we have a little trial by ourselves? It may do us both good."
"I don't mind. When shall it be?"
"Say to-morrow afternoon."
"Very well. I will be at the pond at four o'clock."
"All right."
The two boys met according to agreement, and the race took place.
Conrad beat easily by eight lengths, although Valentine exerted himself
to the best of his ability.
"That settles it," said Conrad, triumphantly. "You can't row against
me."
"I am afraid you are right," returned Valentine, with an air of chagrin.
"You will need more practice, though you row fairly well. I think you
pull the best oar next to me," said Conrad, in a patronizing tone.
"Yes, I see that I must practice more."
"There will be no need for me to practice," said Conrad to himself.
"I've got a dead sure thing."
It might have been supposed that Conrad would be indifferent to the
money value of the prize offered, but he had extravagant tastes, and
found his allowance from his father, though a liberal one, insufficient
for his needs. He began to consider in what way he would spend the
money, which he considered as good as won.
At length the day for the picnic dawned. The day previous had been
unpleasant, and there had been considerable anxiety lest the weather
should prove unpleasant. But greatly to the general satisfaction it was
bright with sunshine, and the temperature was delightful.
The young people of both societies turned out _en masse_ and looked
forward to a good time.
The race had been fixed for half-past three o'clock. At that hour the
superintendent of the Sunday school came forward and said:
"Owing to the liberality of Mr. Gale, of New York, a boarder at the
hotel, a prize of ten dollars has been offered to the best oarsman who
may compete for it. Boats will start from the pier, and the course will
be to the opposite bank of the pond and back. I am sure that this will
prove a very attractive feature of our picnic. Boys who intend to
compete will now present themselves."
The first to come forward was Conrad Carter. He was dressed in a
handsome boating costume, and his manner indicated great confidence. He
looked around for Valentine, but the latter made no motion toward the
shore, though his boat was in the pond drawn up with the rest.
"Aren't you going to row, Valentine?" asked Conrad, in surprise.
"No; I have lent my boat to Andy Grant."
At the same time Andy, in his ordinary attire, came forward, and stepped
into Valentine's boat.
Conrad arched his brows in surprise. He had been disappointed to find
that Valentine would not row, but he was quite as well pleased at the
prospect of beating Andy.
He was rather surprised, however, as he had never heard that Andy could
row.
"He must be a fool to think of rowing against me," he said to himself.
Next came Jimmy Morris, who took his place in one of Serwin's boats.
Two other boys also appeared in hired boats, one of them being Dennis
Carlyle, a friend of John Larkin.
When the boats were in line, a superintendent gave the signal.
Conrad got the first start. The others kept together, a length or two
behind Conrad. Andy did not appear to be exerting himself, but his
strokes showed a smoothness that was lacking in any of the rest.
Mr. Gale, the donor of the prize, who was himself a good rower, took
notice of him.
"Who is that boy?" he asked, pointing to Andy. "I don't think I have
seen him before."
"It is Andy Grant, the son of Farmer Grant."
"Why haven't I seen him before?"
"He has been absent at school--at Penhurst Academy."
"He knows how to row. See how he handles his oars."
"I didn't know he was a rower."
"He is, and a good one. I shouldn't be surprised if he wins the race."
"What, against Conrad Carter?" asked the superintendent, incredulously.
"Yes. It is easy to see that he has been trained, while Conrad, though
he pulls a strong oar, rows like a country amateur."
Conrad was so intent upon his own work that he had not had an
opportunity of watching his competitors. When he had nearly reached the
point selected on the other bank, he turned about and saw Andy close behind him.
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