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
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— 162 —<br />
They said <strong>the</strong>y were ready, and <strong>the</strong> boy <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> land<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g stage<br />
took a boat-hook and shoved him off.<br />
What <strong>the</strong>n followed George is unable to describe <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> detail.<br />
He has a c<strong>on</strong>fused recollecti<strong>on</strong> of hav<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, immediately <strong>on</strong><br />
start<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, received a violent blow <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> small of <strong>the</strong> back from<br />
<strong>the</strong> butt-end of number five’s scull, at <strong>the</strong> same time that his<br />
own seat seemed to disappear from under him by magic, and<br />
leave him sitt<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> boards. He also noticed, as a curious<br />
circumstance, that number two was at <strong>the</strong> same <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>stant ly<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
<strong>on</strong> his back at <strong>the</strong> bottom of <strong>the</strong> boat, with his legs <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> air,<br />
apparently <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a fit.<br />
They passed under Kew Bridge, broadside, at <strong>the</strong> rate of<br />
eight miles an hour. Josk<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>s be<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> <strong>on</strong>ly <strong>on</strong>e who was row<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g.<br />
George, <strong>on</strong> recover<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g his seat, tried to help him, but, <strong>on</strong><br />
dipp<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g his oar <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <strong>the</strong> water, it immediately, to his <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>tense<br />
surprise, disappeared under <strong>the</strong> boat, and nearly took him<br />
with it.<br />
And <strong>the</strong>n “cox” threw both rudder l<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>es over-board, and<br />
burst <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to tears.<br />
How <strong>the</strong>y got back George never knew, but it took <strong>the</strong>m just<br />
forty m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>utes. A dense crowd watched <strong>the</strong> enterta<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ment from<br />
Kew Bridge with much <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terest, and everybody shouted out to<br />
<strong>the</strong>m different directi<strong>on</strong>s. <str<strong>on</strong>g>Three</str<strong>on</strong>g> times <strong>the</strong>y managed to get <strong>the</strong><br />
boat back through <strong>the</strong> arch, and three times <strong>the</strong>y were carried<br />
under it aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>, and every time “cox” looked up and saw <strong>the</strong><br />
bridge above him he broke out <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to renewed sobs.<br />
George said he little thought that afterno<strong>on</strong> that he should<br />
ever come to really like boat<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g.<br />
Harris is more accustomed to sea row<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g than to river work,<br />
and says that, as an exercise, he prefers it. I d<strong>on</strong>’t. I remember<br />
tak<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g a small boat out at Eastbourne last summer: I used to do<br />
a good deal of sea row<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g years ago, and I thought I should be<br />
all right; but I found I had forgotten <strong>the</strong> art entirely. When <strong>on</strong>e<br />
scull was deep down underneath <strong>the</strong> water, <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r would be<br />
flourish<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g wildly about <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> air. To get a grip of <strong>the</strong> water<br />
with both at <strong>the</strong> same time I had to stand up. The parade was