You can _feel_ she's fast, and _see_ it, if you've half an eye: and
the way she travels between the strokes is a treat. The Mounseers
can build boats. But oh, my dears, you'll have to pull and stay the
course, or in Saltash the women take second place for ever!"
"Shan't be worse off than other women, even if that happens," said
Rebecca Tucker, that was but a year married and more than half in
love with her man. Sally had been in two minds about promoting
Rebecca to the bow-oar in place of Ann Pengelly, that had been
clipping the stroke short in practice: but after that speech she
never gave the woman another thought.
Next evening the men brought out their opposition boat--she was
called the _Nonpareil_--and tried a spin in her. They had found a
man for No. 3 oar--another of the Water-Guard, by name Mick Guppy and
by nation Irish, which Sal swore to be unfair. She didn't lodge any
complaint, however: and when her mates called out that 'twas taking a
mean advantage, all she'd say was: "Saltash is Saltash, my dears; and
I won't go to maintain that a Saltash crew is anyways improved by a
chap from Dundalk."
So no protest was entered.
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