21.03.2013 Views

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

— 278 —<br />

utes water a stretch of road that would take us with our clumsy<br />

lumber<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g cart half an hour to cover.”<br />

George, who was rid<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g beh<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d me <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> tandem, said,<br />

“Yes, and it is also a method by which with a little carelessness<br />

a man could cover a good many people <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a good deal less time<br />

than <strong>the</strong>y could get out of <strong>the</strong> way.”<br />

George, <strong>the</strong> opposite to Harris, is British to <strong>the</strong> core. I remember<br />

George quite patriotically <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dignant with Harris <strong>on</strong>ce<br />

for suggest<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>troducti<strong>on</strong> of <strong>the</strong> guillot<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to England.<br />

“It is so much neater,” said Harris.<br />

“I d<strong>on</strong>’t care if it is,” said George; “I’m an Englishman; hang<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />

is good enough for me.”<br />

“Our water-cart may have its disadvantages,” c<strong>on</strong>t<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ued<br />

George, “but it can <strong>on</strong>ly make you uncomfortable about <strong>the</strong><br />

legs, and you can avoid it. This is <strong>the</strong> sort of mach<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e with<br />

which a man can follow you round <strong>the</strong> corner and upstairs.”<br />

“It fasc<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ates me to watch <strong>the</strong>m,” said Harris. “They are so<br />

skilful. I have seen a man from <strong>the</strong> corner of a crowded square<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Strassburg cover every <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ch of ground, and not so much<br />

as wet an apr<strong>on</strong> str<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. It is marvellous how <strong>the</strong>y judge <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

distance. They will send <strong>the</strong> water up to your toes, and <strong>the</strong>n<br />

br<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g it over your head so that it falls around your heels. They<br />

can —”<br />

“Ease up a m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ute,” said George. I said: “Why?”<br />

He said: “I am go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to get off and watch <strong>the</strong> rest of this<br />

show from beh<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d a tree. There may be great performers <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

this l<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e, as Harris says; this particular artist appears to me to<br />

lack someth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. He has just soused a dog, and now he’s busy<br />

water<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g a sign-post. I am go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to wait till he has f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ished.”<br />

“N<strong>on</strong>sense,” said Harris; “he w<strong>on</strong>’t wet you.”<br />

“That is precisely what I am go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to make sure of,” answered<br />

George, say<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g which he jumped off, and, tak<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g up a<br />

positi<strong>on</strong> beh<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d a remarkably f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e elm, pulled out and commenced<br />

fill<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g his pipe.<br />

I did not care to take <strong>the</strong> tandem <strong>on</strong> by myself, so I stepped<br />

off and jo<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed him, leav<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> mach<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>st a tree. Harris

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!