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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— 63 —<br />
<strong>on</strong> until, at last, <strong>the</strong>y passed <strong>the</strong> half of a penny bun <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
ground that Harris’s cous<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> swore he had noticed <strong>the</strong>re seven<br />
m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>utes ago. Harris said: “Oh, impossible!” but <strong>the</strong> woman<br />
with <strong>the</strong> baby said, “Not at all,” as she herself had taken it from<br />
<strong>the</strong> child, and thrown it down <strong>the</strong>re, just before she met Harris.<br />
She also added that she wished she never had met Harris, and<br />
expressed an op<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>i<strong>on</strong> that he was an impostor. That made Harris<br />
mad, and he produced his map, and expla<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed his <strong>the</strong>ory.<br />
“The map may be all right enough,” said <strong>on</strong>e of <strong>the</strong> party, “if<br />
you know whereabouts <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> it we are now.”<br />
Harris didn’t know, and suggested that <strong>the</strong> best th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to do<br />
would be to go back to <strong>the</strong> entrance, and beg<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>. For <strong>the</strong><br />
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 aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> part of it <strong>the</strong>re was not much enthusiasm;<br />
but with regard to <strong>the</strong> advisability of go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g back to <strong>the</strong> entrance<br />
<strong>the</strong>re was complete unanimity, and so <strong>the</strong>y turned, and<br />
trailed after Harris aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> opposite directi<strong>on</strong>. About ten<br />
m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>utes more passed, and <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong>y found <strong>the</strong>mselves <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong><br />
centre.<br />
Harris thought at first of pretend<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g that that was what he<br />
had been aim<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g at; but <strong>the</strong> crowd looked dangerous, and he<br />
decided to treat it as an accident.<br />
Anyhow, <strong>the</strong>y had got someth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to start from <strong>the</strong>n. They<br />
did know where <strong>the</strong>y were, and <strong>the</strong> map was <strong>on</strong>ce more c<strong>on</strong>sulted,<br />
and <strong>the</strong> th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g seemed simpler than ever, and off <strong>the</strong>y<br />
started for <strong>the</strong> third time.<br />
And three m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>utes later <strong>the</strong>y were back <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> centre aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>.<br />
After that, <strong>the</strong>y simply couldn’t get anywhere else. Whatever<br />
way <strong>the</strong>y turned brought <strong>the</strong>m back to <strong>the</strong> middle. It became<br />
so regular at length, that some of <strong>the</strong> people stopped <strong>the</strong>re,<br />
and waited for <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs to take a walk round, and come back<br />
to <strong>the</strong>m. Harris drew out his map aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>, after a while, but <strong>the</strong><br />
sight of it <strong>on</strong>ly <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>furiated <strong>the</strong> mob, and <strong>the</strong>y told him to go and<br />
curl his hair with it. Harris said that he couldn’t help feel<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
that, to a certa<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> extent, he had become unpopular.<br />
They all got crazy at last, and sang out for <strong>the</strong> keeper, and<br />
<strong>the</strong> man came and climbed up <strong>the</strong> ladder outside, and shouted