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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— 62 —<br />
toge<strong>the</strong>r <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> great cities, and light huge b<strong>on</strong>fires of a milli<strong>on</strong><br />
gas-jets, and shout and s<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g toge<strong>the</strong>r, and feel brave.<br />
Harris asked me if I’d ever been <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> maze at Hampt<strong>on</strong><br />
Court. He said he went <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong>ce to show somebody else <strong>the</strong><br />
way. He had studied it up <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a map, and it was so simple that it<br />
seemed foolish — hardly worth <strong>the</strong> twopence charged for admissi<strong>on</strong>.<br />
Harris said he thought that map must have been got<br />
up as a practical joke, because it wasn’t a bit like <strong>the</strong> real th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g,<br />
and <strong>on</strong>ly mislead<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. It was a country cous<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> that Harris took<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>. He said:<br />
“We’ll just go <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> here, so that you can say you’ve been, but it’s<br />
very simple. It’s absurd to call it a maze. You keep <strong>on</strong> tak<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong><br />
first turn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to <strong>the</strong> right. We’ll just walk round for ten m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>utes,<br />
and <strong>the</strong>n go and get some lunch.”<br />
They met some people so<strong>on</strong> after <strong>the</strong>y had got <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>side, who<br />
said <strong>the</strong>y had been <strong>the</strong>re for three-quarters of an hour, and<br />
had had about enough of it. Harris told <strong>the</strong>m <strong>the</strong>y could follow<br />
him, if <strong>the</strong>y liked; he was just go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>, and <strong>the</strong>n should turn<br />
round and come out aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>. They said it was very k<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d of him,<br />
and fell beh<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d, and followed.<br />
They picked up various o<strong>the</strong>r people who wanted to get<br />
it over, as <strong>the</strong>y went al<strong>on</strong>g, until <strong>the</strong>y had absorbed all <strong>the</strong><br />
pers<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> maze. People who had given up all hopes of<br />
ever gett<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g ei<strong>the</strong>r <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> or out, or of ever see<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong>ir home and<br />
friends aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>, plucked up courage at <strong>the</strong> sight of Harris and his<br />
party, and jo<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed <strong>the</strong> processi<strong>on</strong>, bless<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g him. Harris said he<br />
should judge <strong>the</strong>re must have been twenty people, follow<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
him, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> all; and <strong>on</strong>e woman with a baby, who had been <strong>the</strong>re<br />
all <strong>the</strong> morn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>sisted <strong>on</strong> tak<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g his arm, for fear of los<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
him.<br />
Harris kept <strong>on</strong> turn<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to <strong>the</strong> right, but it seemed a l<strong>on</strong>g way,<br />
and his cous<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> said he supposed it was a very big maze.<br />
“Oh, <strong>on</strong>e of <strong>the</strong> largest <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Europe,” said Harris.<br />
“Yes, it must be,” replied <strong>the</strong> cous<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>, “because we’ve walked a<br />
good two miles already.”<br />
Harris began to th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k it ra<strong>the</strong>r strange himself, but he held