The first edition of this book is dated 1887. The edition used is dated 1920. The publisher was Latimer House Limited, 33 Ludgate Hill, London EC4 The number of pages is 305.

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General information

This is one of this author’s famous school stories. Like a new boy or girl at a school, you will be faced with learning the names of a great many youngsters, and to an extent, their characters. However, by the time you get half-way through the book you will be familiar enough with the principal characters.

Of course, there are numerous small dramas being acted out as the book proceeds, but the main one concerns a boat-race between two of the Houses. Along the course there is a very tight bend. The boat on the outside of the bend is slightly in the lead but will probably lose this due to the inside boat having less far to travel to the next straight.

At a most crucial moment, when maximum power is being exerted by the cox on the rudder-lines, one of them snaps, and the boat goes out of control. The cox shouts the instructions for an emergency stop, and to back water. The other boat proceeds to the end of the course. It can now be seen that the rudder-line had been deliberately half cut through, so that it would snap at that tight bend on the river.

For the rest of the book people are trying to work out who had done this deed. At one stage we think we know the answer. We become quite convinced we know the answer, in fact. But we are wrong, and we do not find out till almost the end of the book. And it is to be hoped that at that point the promised re-row takes place.

There is some confusion with names in respect of Merrison and Morrison, but I suspect that to be a printer’s error. It is not of great importance, since he is (or they are) not front-line characters in the action.

The punctuation becomes very difficult in the reporting of the proceedings of the school parliament, because not only do you have the current speaker, but interspersed with it are comments by the raconteur and by the noisier of the boys. The printed book settled for a simplified version here, but we have done our best to give you a version that is more according to rule.

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Contents

Chapter I.
The last of the old Captain.

Chapter II.
Four Hours in a Fag’s Life.

Chapter III.
The Vacant Captaincy.

Chapter IV.
The New Captain’s Introduction.

Chapter V.
The New Captain is discussed on Land and Water.

Chapter VI.
Breakers ahead.

Chapter VII.
The New Captain enters on his Duties.

Chapter VIII.
The Willoughby Parliament in Session.

Chapter IX.
A Scientific Afternoon in Welch’s.

Chapter X.
Wyndham Junior and his Friends.

Chapter XI.
The Schoolhouse Boat at Work.

Chapter XII.
Bloomfield In Tribulation.

Chapter XIII.
Telson and Parson go to an Evening Party.

Chapter XIV.
The Boat-Race.

Chapter XV.
Foul Play.

Chapter XVI.
Bosher, his Diary.

Chapter XVII.
A Surprise in Store.

Chapter XVIII.
The new Captain turned Welcher.

Chapter XIX.
“Is Willoughby degenerate?“

Chapter XX.
Is Willoughby Mad?

Chapter XXI.
The new Captain to the Rescue.

Chapter XXII.
A Mysterious Letter.

Chapter XXIII.
Tom the Boat-boy earns four-and-sixpence.

Chapter XXIV.
The Rockshire Match.

Chapter XXV.
“Am I My Brother’s Keeper?“

Chapter XXVI.
An Explosion of “Sky-Rockets.“

Chapter XXVII.
Everything gone wrong.

Chapter XXVIII.
Wyndham makes a final Venture.

Chapter XXIX.
A Select Party at the Doctor’s.

Chapter XXX.
New Lights on old Questions.

Chapter XXXI.
Welch’s versus Parrett’s Juniors.

Chapter XXXII.
A Climax to Everything.

Chapter XXXIII.
A Treaty of Peace.

Chapter XXXIV.
A Busy Day for the Doctor.

Chapter XXXV.
A Transformation Scene.

Chapter XXXVI.
Willoughby herself again.

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