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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— 51 —<br />
that Biggs’s boy (for that period) was at <strong>the</strong> bottom of it, and<br />
had he not been able, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> reply to <strong>the</strong> severe cross-exam<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ati<strong>on</strong><br />
to which he was subjected by No. 19, when he called <strong>the</strong>re for<br />
orders <strong>the</strong> morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g after <strong>the</strong> crime (assisted by No. 21, who<br />
happened to be <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> step at <strong>the</strong> time), to prove a complete alibi,<br />
it would have g<strong>on</strong>e hard with him. I didn’t know Biggs’s boy<br />
at that time, but, from what I have seen of <strong>the</strong>m s<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ce, I should<br />
not have attached much importance to that alibi myself.<br />
Biggs’s boy, as I have said, came round <strong>the</strong> corner. He was evidently<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a great hurry when he first dawned up<strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> visi<strong>on</strong>,<br />
but, <strong>on</strong> catch<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g sight of Harris and me, and M<strong>on</strong>tmorency,<br />
and <strong>the</strong> th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs, he eased up and stared. Harris and I frowned<br />
at him. This might have wounded a more sensitive nature, but<br />
Biggs’s boys are not, as a rule, touchy. He came to a dead stop,<br />
a yard from our step, and, lean<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g up aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>st <strong>the</strong> rail<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs, and<br />
select<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g a straw to chew, fixed us with his eye. He evidently<br />
meant to see this th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g out.<br />
In ano<strong>the</strong>r moment, <strong>the</strong> grocer’s boy passed <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> opposite<br />
side of <strong>the</strong> street. Biggs’s boy hailed him:<br />
“Hi! ground floor o’ 42’s a-mov<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g.”<br />
The grocer’s boy came across, and took up a positi<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r side of <strong>the</strong> step. Then <strong>the</strong> young gentleman from <strong>the</strong><br />
boot-shop stopped, and jo<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed Biggs’s boy; while <strong>the</strong> emptycan<br />
super<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>tendent from “The Blue Posts” took up an <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>dependent<br />
positi<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> curb.<br />
“They a<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>’t a-go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to starve, are <strong>the</strong>y?” said <strong>the</strong> gentleman<br />
from <strong>the</strong> boot-shop.<br />
“Ah! you’d want to take a th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g or two with you,” retorted<br />
“The Blue Posts,” “if you was a-go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to cross <strong>the</strong> Atlantic <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
a small boat.”<br />
“They a<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>’t a-go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to cross <strong>the</strong> Atlantic,” struck <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Biggs’s<br />
boy; “<strong>the</strong>y’re a-go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d Stanley.”<br />
By this time, quite a small crowd had collected, and people<br />
were ask<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g each o<strong>the</strong>r what was <strong>the</strong> matter. One party (<strong>the</strong><br />
young and giddy porti<strong>on</strong> of <strong>the</strong> crowd) held that it was a wedd<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g,<br />
and po<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ted out Harris as <strong>the</strong> bridegroom; while <strong>the</strong>