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Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel

Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel

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— 121 —<br />

K<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g’s bro<strong>the</strong>r. Earl Godw<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> broke a piece of bread and held it<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> his hand.<br />

“If I am guilty,” said <strong>the</strong> Earl, “may this bread choke me<br />

when I eat it!”<br />

Then he put <strong>the</strong> bread <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to his mouth and swallowed it, and<br />

it choked him, and he died.<br />

After you pass Old W<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dsor, <strong>the</strong> river is somewhat un<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terest<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g,<br />

and does not become itself aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> until you are near<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />

Boveney. George and I towed up past <strong>the</strong> Home Park, which<br />

stretches al<strong>on</strong>g <strong>the</strong> right bank from Albert to Victoria Bridge;<br />

and as we were pass<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g Datchet, George asked me if I remembered<br />

our first trip up <strong>the</strong> river, and when we landed at Datchet<br />

at ten o’clock at night, and wanted to go to bed.<br />

I answered that I did remember it. It will be some time before<br />

I forget it.<br />

It was <strong>the</strong> Saturday before <strong>the</strong> August Bank Holiday. We<br />

were tired and hungry, we same three, and when we got to<br />

Datchet we took out <strong>the</strong> hamper, <strong>the</strong> two bags, and <strong>the</strong> rugs<br />

and coats, and such like th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs, and started off to look for digg<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs.<br />

We passed a very pretty little hotel, with clematis and<br />

creeper over <strong>the</strong> porch; but <strong>the</strong>re was no h<strong>on</strong>eysuckle about<br />

it, and, for some reas<strong>on</strong> or o<strong>the</strong>r, I had got my m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d fixed <strong>on</strong><br />

h<strong>on</strong>eysuckle, and I said:<br />

“Oh, d<strong>on</strong>’t let’s go <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong>re! Let’s go <strong>on</strong> a bit fur<strong>the</strong>r, and see<br />

if <strong>the</strong>re isn’t <strong>on</strong>e with h<strong>on</strong>eysuckle over it.”<br />

So we went <strong>on</strong> till we came to ano<strong>the</strong>r hotel. That was a<br />

very nice hotel, too, and it had h<strong>on</strong>ey-suckle <strong>on</strong> it, round at <strong>the</strong><br />

side; but Harris did not like <strong>the</strong> look of a man who was lean<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />

aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>st <strong>the</strong> fr<strong>on</strong>t door. He said he didn’t look a nice man at<br />

all, and he wore ugly boots: so we went <strong>on</strong> fur<strong>the</strong>r. We went a<br />

goodish way without com<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g across any more hotels, and <strong>the</strong>n<br />

we met a man, and asked him to direct us to a few.<br />

He said:<br />

“Why, you are com<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g away from <strong>the</strong>m. You must turn right<br />

round and go back, and <strong>the</strong>n you will come to <strong>the</strong> Stag.”<br />

We said:

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