And the laugh which greeted this very unoriginal observation closed the conversation for a time.
Meanwhile, down at the boat-house things were getting very lively.
Telson, Philpot, Pilbury, Cusack, King, and other of our juvenile friends, who, with their usual modesty, proposed to run along with the race, and now formed part of the crowd which awaited the start, kept up a boisterous chorus of shouts, some of defiance, some of derision, some of applause, addressed alternately to foe and friend.
The young Welchers especially, having no personal interest in the race, felt themselves delightfully free to make themselves objectionable to all parties, and took full advantage of the circumstance.
They howled at everybody and everything.

Whenever King and Bosher greeted the appearance of the Parrett's boat with a friendly cheer they hooted; and no sooner did Telson sing out to welcome the crew of his house, but they caterwauled derisively in the same direction.
"Jolly lot _they_ know about rowing!" yelled Cusack.
"Why don't you give them some lessons ?" retorted Telson, hotly.
"Boo--hoo! Who got kicked out his boat! Young muller, couldn't steer a tub." "I'll tub you, young Pilbury, see if I don't, presently," replied Telson.
"Never mind them," shouted King, "can't even make up a boat; pack of funks, all of them!" "Hullo! who are you ?" cried Philpot, rounding on these new assailants.
"We'd have a boat, never fear, if there was any chance of fair play." "Lot of fair play you'd want, to turn the boat round and round and catch crabs every other second!" "There are our fellows!" cried Wyndham, raising a loud cheer as Fairbairn, Coates, Porter, Crossfield, and Riddell appeared on the landing stage.
"Hurrah! schoolhouse, hurrah!" "Ye-ow, look at them--there's a lot!" hooted the Welchers.
"There's old Parson!" yelled Telson, Bosher, and King, as the youthful hero in question strutted magnificently down to the landing.
"What cheer, stuck-up jackass ?" howled the Welchers, with an insulting laugh; "why don't you grin ?" This remark was suggested by Parson grandly waving his handkerchief and smiling to his admiring friends.
But it is time to quit these friends and make our way to the boats themselves, which now lie waiting for their crews to embark.
This is always a tedious process for onlookers.

The shifting of stretchers, the getting-out of oars, the arrangement of rudder strings, and the delicate trimming of the boat, may be interesting enough to the crews themselves, but only feed the impatience of onlookers.
And as usual hitches are bound to occur.

Coates has got the oar belonging to Crossfield.

And when this mistake has been remedied, Bloomfield in the other boat suddenly discovers that his stretcher is a little weak, and insists on waiting till a new one is brought.
Finally everything is ready, and the two boats slowly swing out into mid-stream.