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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— 90 —<br />
ever <strong>the</strong> accident may have been, however, it had <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> no way disturbed<br />
<strong>the</strong> young lady and gentleman, who were tow<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. They<br />
had <strong>the</strong> boat-hook and <strong>the</strong>y had <strong>the</strong> l<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e, and that seemed to be<br />
all that <strong>the</strong>y thought necessary to <strong>the</strong>ir work.<br />
George was about to call out and wake <strong>the</strong>m up, but, at that<br />
moment, a bright idea flashed across him, and he didn’t. He<br />
got <strong>the</strong> hitcher <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>stead, and reached over, and drew <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> end<br />
of <strong>the</strong> tow-l<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e; and <strong>the</strong>y made a loop <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> it, and put it over<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir mast, and <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong>y tidied up <strong>the</strong> sculls, and went and sat<br />
down <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> stern, and lit <strong>the</strong>ir pipes.<br />
And that young man and young woman towed those four<br />
hulk<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g chaps and a heavy boat up to Marlow.<br />
George said he never saw so much thoughtful sadness<br />
c<strong>on</strong>centrated <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <strong>on</strong>e glance before, as when, at <strong>the</strong> lock, that<br />
young couple grasped <strong>the</strong> idea that, for <strong>the</strong> last two miles, <strong>the</strong>y<br />
had been tow<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> wr<strong>on</strong>g boat. George fancied that, if it had<br />
not been for <strong>the</strong> restra<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>fluence of <strong>the</strong> sweet woman at<br />
his side, <strong>the</strong> young man might have given way to violent language.<br />
The maiden was <strong>the</strong> first to recover from her surprise, and,<br />
when she did, she clasped her hands, and said, wildly:<br />
“Oh, Henry, <strong>the</strong>n where is auntie?”<br />
“Did <strong>the</strong>y ever recover <strong>the</strong> old lady?” asked Harris.<br />
George replied he did not know.<br />
Ano<strong>the</strong>r example of <strong>the</strong> dangerous want of sympathy between<br />
tower and towed was witnessed by George and myself<br />
<strong>on</strong>ce up near Walt<strong>on</strong>. It was where <strong>the</strong> tow-path shelves gently<br />
down <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <strong>the</strong> water, and we were camp<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> opposite<br />
bank, notic<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>gs <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> general. By-and-by a small boat came<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> sight, towed through <strong>the</strong> water at a tremendous pace by a<br />
powerful barge horse, <strong>on</strong> which sat a very small boy. Scattered<br />
about <strong>the</strong> boat, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> dreamy and reposeful attitudes, lay five fellows,<br />
<strong>the</strong> man who was steer<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g hav<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g a particularly restful<br />
appearance.<br />
“I should like to see him pull <strong>the</strong> wr<strong>on</strong>g l<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e,” murmured<br />
George, as <strong>the</strong>y passed. And at that precise moment <strong>the</strong> man