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.
— 46 —<br />
unused. He might have been up stuff<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g himself with eggs and<br />
bac<strong>on</strong>, irritat<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> dog, or flirt<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g with <strong>the</strong> slavey, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>stead of<br />
sprawl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong>re, sunk <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> soul-clogg<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g oblivi<strong>on</strong>.<br />
It was a terrible thought. Harris and I appeared to be struck<br />
by it at <strong>the</strong> same <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>stant. We determ<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed to save him, and, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
this noble resolve, our own dispute was forgotten. We flew<br />
across and slung <strong>the</strong> clo<strong>the</strong>s off him, and Harris landed him<br />
<strong>on</strong>e with a slipper, and I shouted <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> his ear, and he awoke.<br />
“Wassermarrer?” he observed, sitt<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g up.<br />
“Get up, you fat-headed chunk!” roared Harris. “It’s quarter<br />
to ten.”<br />
“What!” he shrieked, jump<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g out of bed <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <strong>the</strong> bath;<br />
“Who <strong>the</strong> thunder put this th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g here?”<br />
We told him he must have been a fool not to see <strong>the</strong> bath.<br />
We f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ished dress<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, and, when it came to <strong>the</strong> extras, we<br />
remembered that we had packed <strong>the</strong> tooth-brushes and <strong>the</strong><br />
brush and comb (that tooth-brush of m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e will be <strong>the</strong> death<br />
of me, I know), and we had to go downstairs, and fish <strong>the</strong>m<br />
out of <strong>the</strong> bag. And when we had d<strong>on</strong>e that George wanted <strong>the</strong><br />
shav<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g tackle. We told him that he would have to go without<br />
shav<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g that morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, as we weren’t go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to unpack that bag<br />
aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> for him, nor for any<strong>on</strong>e like him.<br />
He said:<br />
“D<strong>on</strong>’t be absurd. How can I go <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <strong>the</strong> City like this?”<br />
It was certa<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ly ra<strong>the</strong>r rough <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> City, but what cared we<br />
for human suffer<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g? As Harris said, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> his comm<strong>on</strong>, vulgar<br />
way, <strong>the</strong> City would have to lump it.<br />
We went downstairs to breakfast. M<strong>on</strong>tmorency had <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>vited<br />
two o<strong>the</strong>r dogs to come and see him off, and <strong>the</strong>y were whil<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
away <strong>the</strong> time by fight<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> doorstep. We calmed <strong>the</strong>m<br />
with an umbrella, and sat down to chops and cold beef.<br />
Harris said:<br />
“The great th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g is to make a good breakfast,” and he started<br />
with a couple of chops, say<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g that he would take <strong>the</strong>se while<br />
<strong>the</strong>y were hot, as <strong>the</strong> beef could wait.<br />
George got hold of <strong>the</strong> paper, and read us out <strong>the</strong> boat<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g