It is not a frequent thing to find a freshman on the Varsity team, even as substitute, and Joel's fame grew apace and many congratulations were extended to him, in classroom and out.

He was on the 'Varsity crew, and he had a back and shoulders which were the admiration of those who had seen him strip to the buff.

But so far as his immediate world was concerned, Junior Doane was going out of the varsity boat in the morningand he, Jim Deacon, was going to sit in his place.

A small knot of 'varsity men were manfully struggling against superior numbers by St. Mary's Hall.

I have since known of colored men who have been chosen as class orators in our leading universities, of others who have played on the varsity football and baseball teams, of colored speakers who have addressed great white audiences.

There are supposed to be two ways to tackle, but the coach who was conducting the operations to-day undoubtedly believed in the existence of at least thrice that number; for each candidate for Varsity honors tackled the dummy in a totally different style.

When the oarsmen went down to the boathouse to dress for their morning row, the arrangement of the various crews posted on the bulletin-board gave Deacon the seat at stroke in the varsity boat; Junior Doane's name appeared at stroke in the second varsity list.

With no great aptitude for footballhe was a bit slow-footedwith little tune or inclination for social activities, he had concentrated upon rowing, not only as a diversion from his arduous studies, an ordered outlet for physical energy, but with the idea of going out into the world with that hallmark of a Baliol varsity oar which he had heard and believed was likely to stand him in stead in life.

But Jim Deacon suspected that it was poor, his idea being based upon knowledge he had concerning the capabilities of his own crew; in other words, he knew it was only an average second varsity outfit.

The freshman class wagged its head knowingly and said: "I told you they couldn't get on without March," and held its head higher for that one of its members was a Varsity player.

Four years of dogged, unremitting toil with never the reward of a varsity seat, and now with the great regatta less than a week away, the big moment, the crown of all he had done.

At least so Deacon had decided in the brushes against the varsity shell when he was stroking the second varsity.

Captain Button was not there, but returned with the Varsity squad from a week's practice at a neighboring village two days later.

He couldn't bat up to 'varsity standard, he wasn't quite heavy enough for a Varsity back, and in the mile run he always came in fresh enough but could not seem to get his speed up so as to run himself out, and the result was that, although he finished strong and with lots of running in him, the other fellows always reached the tape first, even though just barely getting over and thoroughly exhausted.

But Jim Deacon was the man for varsity stroke.

So Joel recited his football adventures in full, not omitting the ludicrous touch-down, which received laughing applause from his listener, and recounting his promotion to the position of Varsity substitute.

The visitor should on no account omit to walk through the "Backs," which is the 'varsity term for the backs of the colleges, with the "Fellows' Gardens" reaching down to the quiet Cam.

He knew what the varsity cachet would do for his prospects in the world.

When the varsity captain, Clayton by name, criticized their playing in a way that was brutal,not because it was frank, but because it was unjust,they swallowed the poison as quietly as they could, and went back into the game determined not to repeat the slip that had brought upon them such a deluge of abuse.

When he was in the Hill School he won the pole vault, but later, in his real collegiate days, he never could come within two inches of 'varsity form, and therefore failed to make the track-team.

One Saturday Prince, the Varsity left-half, twisted his ankle, and Joel was taken on in his place.