They had scarcely passed our two spectators, when Oxford put on a furious
spurt, and got fully even with the leading boat. There was a louder roar
than ever from the bank. Cambridge spurted desperately in turn, and stole
those few feet back; and so they went fighting every inch of water. Bang!
A cannon on the bank sent its smoke over both competitors; it dispersed
in a moment, and the boats were seen pulling slowly towards the
bridge--Cambridge with four oars, Oxford with six, as if that gum had
winged them both.
The race was over.
But who had won our party could not see, and must wait to learn.
A youth, adorned with a blue and yellow rosette, cried out, in the
hearing of Mrs. Dodd, "I say, they are properly pumped, both crews are:"
then, jumping on to a spoke of her carriage-wheel, with a slight apology,
he announced that two or three were shut up in the Exeter.
The exact meaning of these two verbs passive was not clear to Mrs. Dodd;
but their intensity was. She fluttered, and wanted to go to her boy and
nurse him, and turned two most imploring eyes on Julia, and Julia
straightway kissed her with gentle vehemence, and offered to ruin and
see.
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