Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
— 134 —<br />
tiff, and <strong>on</strong>e or two collies, and a St. Bernard, a few retrievers<br />
and Newfoundlands, a boar-hound, a French poodle, with<br />
plenty of hair round its head, but mangy about <strong>the</strong> middle; a<br />
bull-dog, a few Low<strong>the</strong>r Arcade sort of animals, about <strong>the</strong> size<br />
of rats, and a couple of Yorkshire tykes.<br />
There <strong>the</strong>y sat, patient, good, and thoughtful. A solemn<br />
peacefulness seemed to reign <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> that lobby. An air of calmness<br />
and resignati<strong>on</strong> — of gentle sadness pervaded <strong>the</strong> room.<br />
Then a sweet young lady entered, lead<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g a meek-look<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
little fox-terrier, and left him, cha<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed up <strong>the</strong>re, between <strong>the</strong><br />
bull-dog and <strong>the</strong> poodle. He sat and looked about him for a<br />
m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ute. Then he cast up his eyes to <strong>the</strong> ceil<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, and seemed,<br />
judg<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g from his expressi<strong>on</strong>, to be th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g of his mo<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
Then he yawned. Then he looked round at <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r dogs, all<br />
silent, grave, and dignified.<br />
He looked at <strong>the</strong> bull-dog, sleep<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g dreamlessly <strong>on</strong> his right.<br />
He looked at <strong>the</strong> poodle, erect and haughty, <strong>on</strong> his left. Then,<br />
without a word of warn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, without <strong>the</strong> shadow of a provocati<strong>on</strong>,<br />
he bit that poodle’s near fore-leg, and a yelp of ag<strong>on</strong>y rang<br />
through <strong>the</strong> quiet shades of that lobby.<br />
The result of his first experiment seemed highly satisfactory<br />
to him, and he determ<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed to go <strong>on</strong> and make th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs lively all<br />
round. He sprang over <strong>the</strong> poodle and vigorously attacked a<br />
collie, and <strong>the</strong> collie woke up, and immediately commenced<br />
a fierce and noisy c<strong>on</strong>test with <strong>the</strong> poodle. Then Foxey came<br />
back to his own place, and caught <strong>the</strong> bull-dog by <strong>the</strong> ear, and<br />
tried to throw him away; and <strong>the</strong> bull-dog, a curiously impartial<br />
animal, went for everyth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g he could reach, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>clud<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong><br />
hall-porter, which gave that dear little terrier <strong>the</strong> opportunity<br />
to enjoy an un<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terrupted fight of his own with an equally<br />
will<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g Yorkshire tyke.<br />
Any<strong>on</strong>e who knows can<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e nature need hardly be told that,<br />
by this time, all <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r dogs <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> place were fight<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g as if<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir hearths and homes depended <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> fray. The big dogs<br />
fought each o<strong>the</strong>r <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>discrim<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ately; and <strong>the</strong> little dogs fought