The  afternoon  had  been  very  hot,  and  Miller  chuckled  to  the
captain,  "  I  don't  think  there  will  be  much  trash  left  in  any  of
them  after  that.  That  fellow-  Hardy  is  as  fine  as  a  race-horse,
and,' did  you  see,  he  never  turned  a  hair  all  the  way."

The  crew  dispersed  to  their  rooms,  delighted  with  the  per-
formance now  that  it  was  over,  and  feeling  that  they  were
much  the  better  for  it,  though  they  all  declared  it  had  been
harder  work  than  any  race  they  had  yet  pulled.  It  would  have
done  a  trainer's  heart  good  to  have  seen  them,  some  twenty
minutes  afterward,  dropping  into  hall  (where  they  were
allowed  to  dine  on  Sundays,  on  the  joint);  fresh  from  cold
baths,  and  looking  ruddy  and  clear,  and  hard  enough  for  any-
thing.
Again  on  Monday,  not  a  chance  was  lost.  The  St.  Ambrose
boat  started  soon  after  one  o'clock  for  Abingdon.  '  They  swung
steadily  down  the  whole  way,  and  back  again  to  Sandford
without  a  single  spurt ;  Miller  generally  standing  in  the  stern,
and  preaching  above  all  things  steadiness  and  time.  From
Sandford  up,  they  were  accompanied  by  half  a  dozen  men
or  so,  who  ran  up  the  bank  watching  them.  The  struggle  for
the  first  place  on  the  river  was  creating  great  excitement  in  the
rowing  world,  and  these  were  some  of  the  most  keen  connois-
seurs, who,  having  heard  that  St.  Ambrose  had  changed  a  man,
were  on  the  look-out  to  satisfy  themselves  as  to  how  it  would
work.  The  general  opinion  was  veering  round  in  favor  of
Ori.el ;  changes  so  late  in  the  races,  and  at  such  a  critical
moment,  were  looked  upon  as  very  damaging.
