three men in a boat-第27章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



little　way　below　us；　of　a　strange；　weird　sort　of　glimmer　flickering　among　

the　trees　on　the　opposite　bank。　　For　an　instant　I　thought　of　ghosts：　it　

was　such　a　shadowy；　mysterious　light。　　The　next　moment　it　flashed　across　

me　that　it　was　our　boat；　and　I　sent　up　such　a　yell　across　the　water　that　

made　the　night　seem　to　shake　in　its　bed。



We　waited　breathless　for　a　minute；　and　then　…　oh！　divinest　music　of　the　

darkness！　…　we　heard　the　answering　bark　of　Montmorency。　　We　shouted　back　

loud　enough　to　wake　the　Seven　Sleepers　…　I　never　could　understand　myself　

why　it　should　take　more　noise　to　wake　seven　sleepers　than　one　…　and；　

after　what　seemed　an　hour；　but　what　was　really；　I　suppose；　about　five　

minutes；　we　saw　the　lighted　boat　creeping　slowly　over　the　blackness；　and　

heard　Harris's　sleepy　voice　asking　where　we　were。



There　was　an　unaccountable　strangeness　about　Harris。　　It　was　something　

more　than　mere　ordinary　tiredness。　　He　pulled　the　boat　against　a　part　of　

the　bank　from　which　it　was　quite　impossible　for　us　to　get　into　it；　and　

immediately　went　to　sleep。　　It　took　us　an　immense　amount　of　screaming　and　

roaring　to　wake　him　up　again　and　put　some　sense　into　him；　but　we　

succeeded　at　last；　and　got　safely　on　board。



Harris　had　a　sad　expression　on　him；　so　we　noticed；　when　we　got　into　the　

boat。　　He　gave　you　the　idea　of　a　man　who　had　been　through　trouble。　　We　

asked　him　if　anything　had　happened；　and　he　said…



〃Swans！〃



It　seemed　we　had　moored　close　to　a　swan's　nest；　and；　soon　after　George　

and　I　had　gone；　the　female　swan　came　back；　and　kicked　up　a　row　about　it。　　

Harris　had　chivied　her　off；　and　she　had　gone　away；　and　fetched　up　her　old　

man。　　Harris　said　he　had　had　quite　a　fight　with　these　two　swans；　but　

courage　and　skill　had　prevailed　in　the　end；　and　he　had　defeated　them。



Half…an…hour　afterwards　they　returned　with　eighteen　other　swans！　　It　must　

have　been　a　fearful　battle；　so　far　as　we　could　understand　Harris's　

account　of　it。　　The　swans　had　tried　to　drag　him　and　Montmorency　out　of　

the　boat　and　drown　them；　and　he　had　defended　himself　like　a　hero　for　four　

hours；　and　had　killed　the　lot；　and　they　had　all　paddled　away　to　die。



〃How　many　swans　did　you　say　there　were？〃　asked　George。



〃Thirty…two；〃　replied　Harris；　sleepily。



〃You　said　eighteen　just　now；〃　said　George。



〃No；　I　didn't；〃　grunted　Harris；　〃I　said　twelve。　　Think　I　can't　count？〃



What　were　the　real　facts　about　these　swans　we　never　found　out。　　We　

questioned　Harris　on　the　subject　in　the　morning；　and　he　said；　〃What　

swans？〃　and　seemed　to　think　that　George　and　I　had　been　dreaming。



Oh；　how　delightful　it　was　to　be　safe　in　the　boat；　after　our　trials　and　

fears！　　We　ate　a　hearty　supper；　George　and　I；　and　we　should　have　had　some　

toddy　after　it；　if　we　could　have　found　the　whisky；　but　we　could　not。　　We　

examined　Harris　as　to　what　he　had　done　with　it；　but　he　did　not　seem　to　

know　what　we　meant　by　〃whisky；〃　or　what　we　were　talking　about　at　all。　　

Montmorency　looked　as　if　he　knew　something；　but　said　nothing。



I　slept　well　that　night；　and　should　have　slept　better　if　it　had　not　been　

for　Harris。　　I　have　a　vague　recollection　of　having　been　woke　up　at　least　

a　dozen　times　during　the　night　by　Harris　wandering　about　the　boat　with　

the　lantern；　looking　for　his　clothes。　　He　seemed　to　be　worrying　about　his　

clothes　all　night。



Twice　he　routed　up　George　and　myself　to　see　if　we　were　lying　on　his　

trousers。　　George　got　quite　wild　the　second　time。



〃What　the　thunder　do　you　want　your　trousers　for；　in　the　middle　of　the　

night？〃　he　asked　indignantly。　　〃Why　don't　you　lie　down；　and　go　to　sleep？〃



I　found　him　in　trouble；　the　next　time　I　awoke；　because　he　could　not　find　

his　socks；　and　my　last　hazy　remembrance　is　of　being　rolled　over　on　my　

side；　and　of　hearing　Harris　muttering　something　about　its　being　an　

extraordinary　thing　where　his　umbrella　could　have　got　to。









CHAPTER　XV。





HOUSEHOLD　DUTIES。　…　LOVE　OF　WORK。　…　THE　OLD　RIVER　HAND；　WHAT　HE　DOES　AND　

WHAT　HE　TELLS　YOU　HE　HAS　DONE。　…　SCEPTICISM　OF　THE　NEW　GENERATION。　…　

EARLY　BOATING　RECOLLECTIONS。　…　RAFTING。　…　GEORGE　DOES　THE　THING　IN　STYLE。　

…　THE　OLD　BOATMAN；　HIS　METHOD。　…　SO　CALM；　SO　FULL　OF　PEACE。　…　THE　

BEGINNER。　…　PUNTING。　…　A　SAD　ACCIDENT。　…　PLEASURES　OF　FRIENDSHIP。　…　

SAILING；　MY　FIRST　EXPERIENCE。　…　POSSIBLE　REASON　WHY　WE　WERE　NOT　DROWNED。



WE　woke　late　the　next　morning；　and；　at　Harris's　earnest　desire；　partook　

of　a　plain　breakfast；　with　〃non　dainties。〃　　Then　we　cleaned　up；　and　put　

everything　straight　（a　continual　labour；　which　was　beginning　to　afford　me　

a　pretty　clear　insight　into　a　question　that　had　often　posed　me　…　namely；　

how　a　woman　with　the　work　of　only　one　house　on　her　hands　manages　to　pass　

away　her　time）；　and；　at　about　ten；　set　out　on　what　we　had　determined　

should　be　a　good　day's　journey。



We　agreed　that　we　would　pull　this　morning；　as　a　change　from　towing；　and　

Harris　thought　the　best　arrangement　would　be　that　George　and　I　should　

scull；　and　he　steer。　　I　did　not　chime　in　with　this　idea　at　all；　I　said　I　

thought　Harris　would　have　been　showing　a　more　proper　spirit　if　he　had　

suggested　that　he　and　George　should　work；　and　let　me　rest　a　bit。　　It　

seemed　to　me　that　I　was　doing　more　than　my　fair　share　of　the　work　on　this　

trip；　and　I　was　beginning　to　feel　strongly　on　the　subject。



It　always　does　seem　to　me　that　I　am　doing　more　work　than　I　should　do。　　It　

is　not　that　I　object　to　the　work；　mind　you；　I　like　work：　it　fascinates　

me。　　I　can　sit　and　look　at　it　for　hours。　　I　love　to　keep　it　by　me：　the　

idea　of　getting　rid　of　it　nearly　breaks　my　heart。



You　cannot　give　me　too　much　work；　to　accumulate　work　has　almost　become　a　

passion　with　me：　my　study　is　so　full　of　it　now；　that　there　is　hardly　an　

inch　of　room　for　any　more。　　I　shall　have　to　throw　out　a　wing　soon。



And　I　am　careful　of　my　work；　too。　　Why；　some　of　the　work　that　I　have　by　

me　now　has　been　in　my　possession　for　years　and　years；　and　there　isn't　a　

finger…mark　on　it。　　I　take　a　great　pride　in　my　work；　I　take　it　down　now　

and　then　and　dust　it。　　No　man　keeps　his　work　in　a　better　state　of　

preservation　than　I　do。



But；　though　I　crave　for　work；　I　still　like　to　be　fair。　　I　do　not　ask　for　

more　than　my　proper　share。



But　I　get　it　without　asking　for　it　…　at　least；　so　it　appears　to　me　…　and　

this　worries　me。



George　says　he　does　not　think　I　need　trouble　myself　on　the　subject。　　He　

thinks　it　is　only　my　over…scrupulous　nature　that　makes　me　fear　I　am　

having　more　than　my　due；　and　that；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　I　don't　have　half　

as　much　as　I　ought。　　But　I　expect　he　only　says　this　to　comfort　me。



In　a　boat；　I　have　always　noticed　that　it　is　the　fixed　idea　of　each　member　

of　the　crew　that　he　is　doing　everything。　　Harris's　notion　was；　that　it　

was　he　alone　who　had　been　working；　and　that　both　George　and　I　had　been　

imposing　upon　him。　　George；　on　the　other　hand；　ridiculed　the　idea　of　

Harris's　having　done　anything　more　than　eat　and　sleep；　and　had　a　cast…

iron　opinion　that　it　was　he　…　George　himself　…　who　had　done　all　the　

labour　worth　speaking　of。



He　said　he　had　never　been　out　with　such　a　couple　of　lazily　skulks　as　

Harris　and　I。



That　amused　Harris。



〃Fancy　old　George　talking　about　work！〃　he　laughed；　〃why；　about　half…an…

hour　of　it　would　kill　him。　　Have　you　ever　seen　George　work？〃　he　added；　

turning　to　me。



I　agreed　with　Harris　that　I　never　had　…　most　certainly　not　since　we　had　

started　on　this　trip。



〃Well；　I　don't　see　how　YOU　can　know　much　about　it；　one　way　or　the　other；〃　

George　retorted　on　Harris；　〃for　I'm　blest　if　you　haven't　been　asleep　half　

the　time。　　Have　you　ever　seen　Harris　fully　awake；　except　at　meal…time？〃　

asked　George；　addressing　me。



Truth　compelled　me　to　support　George。　　Harris　had　been　very　little　good　

in　the　boat；　so　far　as　helping　was　concerned；　from　the　beginning。



〃Well；　hang　it　all；　I've　done　more　than　old　J。；　anyhow；〃　rejoined　Harris。



〃Well；　you　couldn't　very　well　have　done　less；〃　added　George。



〃I　suppose　J。　thinks　he　is　the　passenger；〃　continued　Harris。



And　that　was　their　gratitude　to　me　for　having　brought　them　and　their　

wretched　old　boat　all　the　way　up　from　Kingston；　and　for　having　

superintended　and　managed　everything　for　them；　and　taken　care　of　them；　

and　slaved　for　them。　　It　is　the　way　of　the　world。



We　settled　the　present　difficulty　by　arranging　that　Harris　and　George　

should　scull　up　past　Reading；　and　that　I　should　tow　the　boat　on　from　

there。　　Pulling　a　heavy　boat　against　a　strong　stream　has　few　attractions　

for　me　now。　　There　was　a　time；　long　ago；　when　I　used　to　clamour　for　the　

hard　work：　now　I　like　to　give　the　youngsters　a　chance。



I　notice　that　most　of　the　old　river　hands　are　similarly　retiring；　

whenever　there　is　any　stiff　pulling　to　be　done。　　You　can　always　tell　the　

old　river　hand　by　the　way　in　which　he　stretches　himself　out　upon　the　

cushions　at　the　bottom　of　the　boat；　and　encourages　the　rowers　by　telling　

them　anecdotes　about　the　marvellous　feats　he　performed　last　season。



〃Call　what　you're　doing　hard　work！〃　he　drawls；　between　his　contented　

whiffs；　addressing　the　two　perspiring　novices；　who　have　been　grinding　

away　steadily　up　stream　for　the　last　hour　and　a　half；　〃why；　Jim　Biffles　

and　Jack　and　I；　last　season；　pulled　up　from　Marlow　to　Goring　in　one　

afternoon　…　never　stopped　once。　　Do　you　remember　that；　Jack？〃



Jack；　who　has　made　himself　a　bed　up　in　the　prow　of　all　the　rugs　and　coats　

he　can　collect；　and　who　has　been　lying　there　asleep　for　the　last　two　

hours；　partially　wakes　up　on　being　thus　appealed　to；　and　recollects　all　

about　the　matter；　and　also　remembers　that　there　was　an　unusually　strong　

stream　against　them　all　the　way　…　likewise　a　stiff　wind。



〃About　thirty…four　miles；　I　suppose；　it　must　have　been；〃　adds　the　first　

speaker；　reaching　down　another　cushion　to　put　under　his　head。



〃　No　…　no；　don't　exaggerate；　Tom；〃　murmurs　Jack；　reprovingly；　〃thirty…

three　at　the　outside。〃



And　Jack　and　Tom；　quite　exhausted　by　this　conversational　effort；　drop　off　

to　sleep　once　more。　　And　the　two　simple…minded　youngsters　at　the　sculls　

feel　quite　proud　of　being　allowed　to　row　such　wonderful　oarsmen　as　Jack　

and　Tom；　and　strain　away　harder　than　ever。



When　I　was　a　young　man；　I　used　to　listen　to　these　tales　from　my　elders；　

and　take　them　in；　and　swallow　them；　and　digest　every　word　of　them；　and　

then　come　up　for　more；　but　the　new　generation　do　not　seem　to　have　the　

simple　faith　of　the　old　times。　　We　…　George；　Harris；　and　myself　…　took　a　

〃raw'un〃　up　with　us　once　last　season；　and　we　plied　him　with　the　customary　

stretchers　about　the　wonderful　things　we　had　done　all　the　way　up。



We　gave　him　all　the　regular　ones　…　the　time…honoured　lies　that　have　done　

duty　up　the　river　with　every　boating…man　for　years　past　…　and　added　seven　

entirely　original　ones　that　we　had　invented　f