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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shouted someth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g or o<strong>the</strong>r about our be<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g a disgrace to <strong>the</strong><br />
land that gave us birth, and rode <strong>on</strong>.<br />
The next moment I heard a woman’s cry of distress. Glanc<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
round <strong>the</strong> stem of <strong>the</strong> tree, I perceived that it proceeded<br />
from <strong>the</strong> young and elegant lady before menti<strong>on</strong>ed, whom, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
our <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terest c<strong>on</strong>cern<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> road-waterer, we had forgotten.<br />
She was rid<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g her mach<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e steadily and straightly through a<br />
drench<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g shower of water from <strong>the</strong> hose. She appeared to be<br />
too paralysed ei<strong>the</strong>r to get off or turn her wheel aside. Every<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>stant she was becom<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g wetter, while <strong>the</strong> man with <strong>the</strong> hose,<br />
who was ei<strong>the</strong>r drunk or bl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d, c<strong>on</strong>t<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ued to pour water up<strong>on</strong><br />
her with utter <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>difference. A dozen voices yelled imprecati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
up<strong>on</strong> him, but he took no heed whatever.<br />
Harris, his fa<strong>the</strong>rly nature stirred to its depths, did at this<br />
po<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>t what, under <strong>the</strong> circumstances, was quite <strong>the</strong> right and<br />
proper th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to do. Had he acted throughout with <strong>the</strong> same<br />
coolness and judgment he <strong>the</strong>n displayed, he would have<br />
emerged from that <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>cident <strong>the</strong> hero of <strong>the</strong> hour, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>stead of, as<br />
happened, rid<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g away followed by <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>sult and threat. Without<br />
a moment’s hesitati<strong>on</strong> he spurted at <strong>the</strong> man, sprang to <strong>the</strong><br />
ground, and, seiz<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> hose by <strong>the</strong> nozzle, attempted to wrest<br />
it away.<br />
What he ought to have d<strong>on</strong>e, what any man reta<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g his<br />
comm<strong>on</strong> sense would have d<strong>on</strong>e <strong>the</strong> moment he got his hands<br />
up<strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, was to turn off <strong>the</strong> tap. Then he might have<br />
played foot-ball with <strong>the</strong> man, or battledore and shuttlecock<br />
as he pleased; and <strong>the</strong> twenty or thirty people who had rushed<br />
forward to assist would have <strong>on</strong>ly applauded. His idea, however,<br />
as he expla<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed to us afterwards, was to take away <strong>the</strong><br />
hose from <strong>the</strong> man, and, for punishment, turn it up<strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> fool<br />
himself. The waterman’s idea appeared to be <strong>the</strong> same, namely,<br />
to reta<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> hose as a weap<strong>on</strong> with which to soak Harris. Of<br />
course, <strong>the</strong> result was that, between <strong>the</strong>m, <strong>the</strong>y soused every<br />
dead and liv<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g with<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> fifty yards, except <strong>the</strong>mselves.<br />
One furious man, too drenched to care what more happened<br />
to him, leapt <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <strong>the</strong> arena and also took a hand. The three