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Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel

Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel

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— 92 —<br />

start off at a run, pull<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g <strong>the</strong> boat al<strong>on</strong>g at quite a dangerous<br />

pace. At <strong>the</strong> end of a hundred yards <strong>the</strong>y are naturally breathless,<br />

and suddenly stop, and all sit down <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> grass and laugh,<br />

and your boat drifts out to mid-stream and turns round, before<br />

you know what has happened, or can get hold of a scull.<br />

Then <strong>the</strong>y stand up, and are surprised.<br />

“Oh, look!” <strong>the</strong>y say; “he’s g<strong>on</strong>e right out <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <strong>the</strong> middle.”<br />

They pull <strong>on</strong> pretty steadily for a bit, after this, and <strong>the</strong>n it<br />

all at <strong>on</strong>ce occurs to <strong>on</strong>e of <strong>the</strong>m that she will p<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> up her frock,<br />

and <strong>the</strong>y ease up for <strong>the</strong> purpose, and <strong>the</strong> boat runs aground.<br />

You jump up, and push it off, and you shout to <strong>the</strong>m not to<br />

stop.<br />

“Yes. What’s <strong>the</strong> matter?” <strong>the</strong>y shout back.<br />

“D<strong>on</strong>’t stop,” you roar.<br />

“D<strong>on</strong>’t what?”<br />

“D<strong>on</strong>’t stop — go <strong>on</strong> — go <strong>on</strong>!”<br />

“Go back, Emily, and see what it is <strong>the</strong>y want,” says <strong>on</strong>e; and<br />

Emily comes back, and asks what it is.<br />

“What do you want?” she says; “anyth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g happened?”<br />

“No,” you reply, “it’s all right; <strong>on</strong>ly go <strong>on</strong>, you know — d<strong>on</strong>’t<br />

stop.”<br />

“Why not?”<br />

“Why, we can’t steer, if you keep stopp<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g. You must keep<br />

some way <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> boat.”<br />

“Keep some what?”<br />

“Some way — you must keep <strong>the</strong> boat mov<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g.”<br />

“Oh, all right, I’ll tell ’em. Are we do<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g it all right?”<br />

“Oh, yes, very nicely, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>deed, <strong>on</strong>ly d<strong>on</strong>’t stop.”<br />

“It doesn’t seem difficult at all. I thought it was so hard.”<br />

“Oh, no, it’s simple enough. You want to keep <strong>on</strong> steady at<br />

it, that’s all.”<br />

“I see. Give me out my red shawl, it’s under <strong>the</strong> cushi<strong>on</strong>.”<br />

You f<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d <strong>the</strong> shawl, and hand it out, and by this time ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />

<strong>on</strong>e has come back and th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ks she will have hers too,<br />

and <strong>the</strong>y take Mary’s <strong>on</strong> chance, and Mary does not want it, so<br />

<strong>the</strong>y br<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g it back and have a pocket-comb <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>stead. It is about

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