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Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel

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— 72 —<br />

a young man out for a holiday, and you want to enjoy yourself.<br />

Come and see <strong>the</strong> skulls!”<br />

Then I turned and fled, and as I sped I heard him call<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to<br />

me:<br />

“Oh, come and see <strong>the</strong> skulls; come back and see <strong>the</strong><br />

skulls!”<br />

Harris, however, revels <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> tombs, and graves, and epitaphs,<br />

and m<strong>on</strong>umental <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>scripti<strong>on</strong>s, and <strong>the</strong> thought of not see<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />

Mrs. Thomas’s grave made him crazy. He said he had looked<br />

forward to see<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g Mrs. Thomas’s grave from <strong>the</strong> first moment<br />

that <strong>the</strong> trip was proposed — said he wouldn’t have jo<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ed if it<br />

hadn’t been for <strong>the</strong> idea of see<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g Mrs. Thomas’s tomb.<br />

I rem<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ded him of George, and how we had to get <strong>the</strong> boat<br />

up to Sheppert<strong>on</strong> by five o’clock to meet him, and <strong>the</strong>n he went<br />

for George. Why was George to fool about all day, and leave us<br />

to lug this lumber<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g old top-heavy barge up and down <strong>the</strong><br />

river by ourselves to meet him? Why couldn’t George come<br />

and do some work? Why couldn’t he have got <strong>the</strong> day off, and<br />

come down with us? Bank be blowed! What good was he at<br />

<strong>the</strong> bank?<br />

“I never see him do<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g any work <strong>the</strong>re,” c<strong>on</strong>t<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ued Harris,<br />

“whenever I go <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>. He sits beh<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d a bit of glass all day, try<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to<br />

look as if he was do<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g someth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. What’s <strong>the</strong> good of a man<br />

beh<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d a bit of glass? I have to work for my liv<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. Why can’t he<br />

work. What use is he <strong>the</strong>re, and what’s <strong>the</strong> good of <strong>the</strong>ir banks?<br />

They take your m<strong>on</strong>ey, and <strong>the</strong>n, when you draw a cheque,<br />

<strong>the</strong>y send it back smeared all over with ‘No effects,’ ‘Refer to<br />

drawer.’ What’s <strong>the</strong> good of that? That’s <strong>the</strong> sort of trick <strong>the</strong>y<br />

served me twice last week. I’m not go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to stand it much<br />

l<strong>on</strong>ger. I shall withdraw my account. If he was here, we could<br />

go and see that tomb. I d<strong>on</strong>’t believe he’s at <strong>the</strong> bank at all. He’s<br />

lark<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g about somewhere, that’s what he’s do<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, leav<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g us to<br />

do all <strong>the</strong> work. I’m go<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to get out, and have a dr<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k.”<br />

I po<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ted out to him that we were miles away from a pub.;<br />

and <strong>the</strong>n he went <strong>on</strong> about <strong>the</strong> river, and what was <strong>the</strong> good

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