But Fairbairn reasoned him down.

He hadn't steered them into the bank since the second morning--he hadn't tried steering the four-oar, how did he know he couldn't do it?
Mr Parrett had advised the trial strongly, and so on.
"No," said he, "the only question is your weight.

You'd have to run off a bit of that, you know." "Oh," said Riddell, "as to that, you can take as many pounds off me as you like; but--" "None of your buts, old man," said Fairbairn.

"I say, if we only were to win, with you as cox, what a score it would be!" "None of your `ifs,' old man," said Riddell, laughing.

"But I'll come to-morrow, if you are determined to have your way." "Of course I am," said Fairbairn.
This conversation took place the evening that young Wyndham was taking tea with Silk and Gilks in the study of the former.
The intelligence that the new captain was to be taken out to steer the schoolhouse boat mysteriously got wind before the evening was over, and spread over the school like wildfire.