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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— 320 —<br />
He ignored my offer. He said:<br />
“You threw <strong>the</strong>se th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs out of w<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dow.”<br />
“You are right,” I admitted; “I did.”<br />
“Why did you throw <strong>the</strong>m out of w<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dow?” he asked. A<br />
German policeman has his code of questi<strong>on</strong>s arranged for<br />
him; he never varies <strong>the</strong>m, and he never omits <strong>on</strong>e.<br />
“I threw <strong>the</strong>m out of <strong>the</strong> w<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dow at some cats,” I answered.<br />
“What cats?” he asked.<br />
It was <strong>the</strong> sort of questi<strong>on</strong> a German policeman would ask. I<br />
replied with as much sarcasm as I could put <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to my accent that<br />
I was ashamed to say I could not tell him what cats. I expla<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed<br />
that, pers<strong>on</strong>ally, <strong>the</strong>y were strangers to me; but I offered, if <strong>the</strong><br />
police would call all <strong>the</strong> cats <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> district toge<strong>the</strong>r, to come<br />
round and see if I could recognise <strong>the</strong>m by <strong>the</strong>ir yaul.<br />
The German policeman does not understand a joke, which<br />
is perhaps <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> whole just as well, for I believe <strong>the</strong>re is a<br />
heavy f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e for jok<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g with any German uniform; <strong>the</strong>y call it<br />
“treat<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g an official with c<strong>on</strong>tumely.” He merely replied that<br />
it was not <strong>the</strong> duty of <strong>the</strong> police to help me recognise <strong>the</strong> cats;<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir duty was merely to f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e me for throw<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs out of<br />
w<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dow.<br />
I asked what a man was supposed to do <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Germany when<br />
woke up night after night by cats, and he expla<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed that I could<br />
lodge an <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>formati<strong>on</strong> aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>st <strong>the</strong> owner of <strong>the</strong> cat, when <strong>the</strong><br />
police would proceed to cauti<strong>on</strong> him, and, if necessary, order<br />
<strong>the</strong> cat to be destroyed. Who was go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to destroy <strong>the</strong> cat, and<br />
what <strong>the</strong> cat would be do<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g dur<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> process, he did not<br />
expla<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>.<br />
I asked him how he proposed I should discover <strong>the</strong> owner<br />
of <strong>the</strong> cat. He thought for a while, and <strong>the</strong>n suggested that I<br />
might follow it home. I did not feel <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>cl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed to argue with him<br />
any more after that; I should <strong>on</strong>ly have said th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs that would<br />
have made <strong>the</strong> matter worse. As it was, that night’s sport cost<br />
me twelve marks; and not a s<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gle <strong>on</strong>e of <strong>the</strong> four German officials<br />
who <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>terviewed me <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> subject could see anyth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
ridiculous <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> proceed<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs from beg<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>n<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to end.