For the Honor of the Crew

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Robert Brent and Dick Morgan, the former wealthy, the latter poor, are chums at one of the big colleges until they both fall in love with Viola Scott, a college girl. Then Morgan, while still pretending friendship, grows to dislike Brent. Both men are candidates for the varsity crew, but chafing under what he calls his hard luck, Morgan loses his ambition, breaks training, and loses out in his examinations. When Brent passes them with high honors and is favored by Viola, Morgan's jealousy and hate know no bounds. As the big Regatta Day draws near, Brent is made stroke and Morgan only qualifies for substitute. At a secret time-trial, the varsity eight breaks the record, and Morgan to get money to bet on his crew gambles heavily. He falls into the clutches of Rosenberg, a bookmaker, by losing some of the crew's money entrusted to him, and the bookmaker forces him to agree to cripple his boat crew. The night before the big race, Morgan goes to the boathouse and succeeds in cutting one of the oars underneath the leather covering. Rosenberg has promised to shield Morgan, if, by betting heavily on the opposing crew and crippling the varsity, enabled them to win, and he to "clean up" from the big odds. The next day, at a critical moment in the big race, Brent's oar breaks, and only by leaping overboard, thus lightening the boat, are the varsity crew enabled to win. It was a heroic deed, for Brent was already exhausted by the long pull, and that evening he is given an ovation at which his engagement to Viola is announced. An attendant tells Brent of the cut oar and that Morgan was seen at the boathouse the night before, but "for the honor of the crew," the affair is kept secret and Brent helps Morgan to get away and secure a fresh start in life.