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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— 98 —<br />
up over <strong>the</strong> boat, and <strong>the</strong>n stretched <strong>the</strong> canvas over <strong>the</strong>m, and<br />
fastened it down: it would take quite ten m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>utes, we thought.<br />
That was an under-estimate.<br />
We took up <strong>the</strong> hoops, and began to drop <strong>the</strong>m <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <strong>the</strong><br />
sockets placed for <strong>the</strong>m. You would not imag<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>e this to be<br />
dangerous work; but, look<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g back now, <strong>the</strong> w<strong>on</strong>der to me is<br />
that any of us are alive to tell <strong>the</strong> tale. They were not hoops,<br />
<strong>the</strong>y were dem<strong>on</strong>s. First <strong>the</strong>y would not fit <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <strong>the</strong>ir sockets at<br />
all, and we had to jump <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong>m, and kick <strong>the</strong>m, and hammer<br />
at <strong>the</strong>m with <strong>the</strong> boat-hook; and, when <strong>the</strong>y were <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>, it turned<br />
out that <strong>the</strong>y were <strong>the</strong> wr<strong>on</strong>g hoops for those particular sockets,<br />
and <strong>the</strong>y had to come out aga<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>.<br />
But <strong>the</strong>y would not come out, until two of us had g<strong>on</strong>e and<br />
struggled with <strong>the</strong>m for five m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>utes, when <strong>the</strong>y would jump<br />
up suddenly, and try and throw us <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to <strong>the</strong> water and drown<br />
us. They had h<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ges <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> middle, and, when we were not<br />
look<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g, <strong>the</strong>y nipped us with <strong>the</strong>se h<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ges <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> delicate parts of<br />
<strong>the</strong> body; and, while we were wrestl<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g with <strong>on</strong>e side of <strong>the</strong><br />
hoop, and endeavour<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g to persuade it to do its duty, <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
side would come beh<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d us <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a cowardly manner, and hit us<br />
over <strong>the</strong> head.<br />
We got <strong>the</strong>m fixed at last, and <strong>the</strong>n all that was to be d<strong>on</strong>e<br />
was to arrange <strong>the</strong> cover<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g over <strong>the</strong>m. George unrolled it, and<br />
fastened <strong>on</strong>e end over <strong>the</strong> nose of <strong>the</strong> boat. Harris stood <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong><br />
middle to take it from George and roll it <strong>on</strong> to me, and I kept<br />
by <strong>the</strong> stern to receive it. It was a l<strong>on</strong>g time com<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g down to<br />
me. George did his part all right, but it was new work to Harris,<br />
and he bungled it.<br />
How he managed it I do not know, he could not expla<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
himself; but by some mysterious process or o<strong>the</strong>r he succeeded,<br />
after ten m<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>utes of superhuman effort, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> gett<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g<br />
himself completely rolled up <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> it. He was so firmly wrapped<br />
round and tucked <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> and folded over, that he could not get out.<br />
He, of course, made frantic struggles for freedom — <strong>the</strong> birthright<br />
of every Englishman, — and, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> do<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g so (I learned this<br />
afterwards), knocked over George; and <strong>the</strong>n George, swear<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g