In discontent with himself he quickened again; but now
the oars behind him were like a peal of bells. By sheer strength
they forced the boat along somehow, and with the tide under her she
travelled. But the _Indefatigable Woman_ by this time was creeping
up.
They say that Sally rowed that race at thirty-four from the start to
within fifty yards of the finish; rowed it minute after minute
without once quickening or once dropping a stroke. Folks along shore
timed her with their watches. If that's the truth, 'twas a
marvellous feat, and the woman accounted for it afterwards by
declaring that all the way she scarcely thought for one second of the
other boat, but set her stroke to a kind of tune in her head, saying
the same verse over and over:
But she was took out of his side,
His equal and partner to be:
Though they be yunited in one,
Still the man is the top of the tree!
With my fol-de-rol, tooral-i-lay--We'll see about _that!_
The _Indefatigable Woman_ turned the mark not more than four lengths
astern. They had wind and tide against them now, and with her crew
swinging out slow and steady, pulling the stroke clean through with a
hard finish, she went up hand-over-fist.
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