three men in a boat-第38章

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〃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　for　ourselves；　including　a　

really　quite　likely　story；　founded；　to　a　certain　extent；　on　an　all　but　

true　episode；　which　had　actually　happened　in　a　modified　degree　some　years　

ago　to　friends　of　ours　…　a　story　that　a　mere　child　could　have　believed　

without　injuring　itself；　much。



And　that　young　man　mocked　at　them　all；　and　wanted　us　to　repeat　the　feats　

then　and　there；　and　to　bet　us　ten　to　one　that　we　didn't。



We　got　to　chatting　about　our　rowing　experiences　this　morning；　and　to　

recounting　stories　of　our　first　efforts　in　the　art　of　oarsmanship。　　My　

own　earliest　boating　recollection　is　of　five　of　us　contributing　

threepence　each　and　taking　out　a　curiously　constructed　craft　on　the　

Regent's　Park　lake；　drying　ourselves　subsequently；　in　the　park…keeper's　

lodge。



After　that；　having　acquired　a　taste　for　the　water；　I　did　a　good　deal　of　

rafting　in　various　suburban　brickfields　…　an　exercise　providing　more　

interest　and　excitement　than　might　be　imagined；　especially　when　you　are　

in　the　middle　of　the　pond　and　the　proprietor　of　the　materials　of　which　

the　raft　is　constructed　suddenly　appears　on　the　bank；　with　a　big　stick　in　

his　hand。



Your　first　sensation　on　seeing　this　gentleman　is　that；　somehow　or　other；　

you　don't　feel　equal　to　company　and　conversation；　and　that；　if　you　could　

do　so　without　appearing　rude；　you　would　rather　avoid　meeting　him；　and　

your　object　is；　therefore；　to　get　off　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　pond　to　

which　he　is；　and　to　go　home　quietly　and　quickly；　pretending　not　to　see　

him。　　He；　on　the　contrary　is　yearning　to　take　you　by　the　hand；　and　talk　

to　you。



It　appears　that　he　knows　your　father；　and　is　intimately　acquainted　with　

yourself；　but　this　does　not　draw　you　towards　him。　　He　says　he'll　teach　

you　to　take　his　boards　and　make　a　raft　of　them；　but；　seeing　that　you　know　

how　to　do　this　pretty　well　already；　the　offer；　though　doubtless　kindly　

meant；　seems　a　superfluous　one　on　his　part；　and　you　are　reluctant　to　put　

him　to　any　trouble　by　accepting　it。



His　anxiety　to　meet　you；　however；　is　proof　against　all　your　coolness；　and　

the　energetic　manner　in　which　he　dodges　up　and　down　the　pond　so　as　to　be　

on　the　spot　to　greet　you　when　you　land　is　really　quite　flattering。



If　he　be　of　a　stout　and　short…winded　build；　you　can　easily　avoid　his　

advances；　but；　when　he　is　of　the　youthful　and　long…legged　type；　a　meeting　

is　inevitable。　　The　interview　is；　however；　extremely　brief；　most　of　the　

conversation　being　on　his　part；　your　remarks　being　mostly　of　an　

exclamatory　and　mono…syllabic　order；　and　as　soon　as　you　can　tear　yourself　

away　you　do　so。



I　devoted　some　three　months　to　rafting；　and；　being　then　as　proficient　as　

there　was　any　need　to　be　at　that　branch　of　the　art；　I　determined　to　go　in　

for　rowing　proper；　and　joined　one　of　the　Lea　boating　clubs。



Being　out　in　a　boat　on　the　river　Lea；　especially　on　Saturday　afternoons；　

soon　makes　you　smart　at　handling　a　craft；　and　spry　at　escaping　being　run　

down　by　roughs　or　swamped　by　barges；　and　it　also　affords　plenty　of　

opportunity　for　acquiring　the　most　prompt　and　graceful　method　of　lying　

down　flat　at　the　bottom　of　the　boat　so　as　to　avoid　being　chucked　out　into　

the　river　by　passing　tow…lines。



But　it　does　not　give　you　style。　　It　was　not　till　I　came　to　the　Thames　

that　I　got　style。　　My　style　of　rowing　is　very　much　admired　now。　　People　

say　it　is　so　quaint。



George　never　went　near　the　water　until　he　was　sixteen。　　Then　he　and　eight　

other　gentlemen　of　about　the　same　age　went　down　in　a　body　to　Kew　one　

Saturday；　with　the　idea　of　hiring　a　boat　there；　and　pulling　to　Richmond　

and　back；　one　of　their　number；　a　shock…headed　youth；　named　Joskins；　who　

had　once　or　twice　taken　out　a　boat　on　the　Serpentine；　told　them　it　was　

jolly　fun；　boating！



The　tide　was　running　out　pretty　rapidly　when　they　reached　the　landing…

stage；　and　there　was　a　stiff　breeze　blowing　across　the　river；　but　this　

did　not　trouble　them　at　all；　and　they　proceeded　to　select　their　boat。



There　was　an　eight…oared　racing　outrigger　drawn　up　on　the　stage；　that　was　

the　one　that　took　their　fancy。　　They　said　they'd　have　that　one；　please。　　

The　boatman　was　away；　and　only　his　boy　was　in　charge。　　The　boy　tried　to　

damp　their　ardour　for　the　outrigger；　and　showed　them　two　or　three　very　

comfortable…looking　boats　of　the　family…party　build；　but　those　would　not　

do　at　all；　the　outrigger　was　the　boat　they　thought　they　would　look　best　

in。



So　the　boy　launched　it；　and　they　took　off　their　coats　and　prepared　to　

take　their　seats。　　The　boy　suggested　that　George；　who；　even　in　those　

days；　was　always　the　heavy　man　of　any　party；　should　be　number　four。　　

George　said　he　should　be　happy　to　be　number　four；　and　promptly　stepped　

into　bow's　place；　and　sat　down　with　his　back　to　the　stern。　　They　got　him　

into　his　proper　position　at　last；　and　then　the　others　followed。



A　particularly　nervous　boy　was　appointed　cox；　and　the　steering　principle　

explained　to　him　by　Joskins。　　Joskins　himself　took　stroke。　　He　told　the　

others　that　it　was　simple　enough；　all　they　had　to　do　was　to　follow　him。



They　said　they　were　ready；　and　the　boy　on　the　landing　stage　took　a　boat…

hook　and　shoved　him　off。



What　then　followed　George　is　unable　to　describe　in　detail。　　He　has　a　

confused　recollection　of　having；　immediately　on　starting；　received　a　

violent　blow　in　the　small　of　the　back　from　the　butt…end　of　number　five's　

scull；　at　the　same　time　that　his　own　seat　seemed　to　disappear　from　under　

him　by　magic；　and　leave　him　sitting　on　the　boards。　　He　also　noticed；　as　a　

curious　circumstance；　that　number　two　was　at　the　same　instant　lying　on　

his　back　at　the　bottom　of　the　boat；　with　his　legs　in　the　air；　apparently　

in　a　fit。



They　passed　under　Kew　Bridge；　broadside；　at　the　rate　of　eight　miles　an　

hour。　Joskins　being　the　only　one　who　was　rowing。　　George；　on　recovering　

his　seat；　tried　to　help　him；　but；　on　dipping　his　oar　into　the　water；　it　

immediately；　to　his　intense　surprise；　disappeared　under　the　boat；　and　

nearly　took　him　with　it。



And　then　〃cox〃　threw　both　rudder　lines　over…board；　and　burst　into　tears。



How　they　got　back　George　never　knew；　but　it　took　them　just　forty　minutes。　　

A　dense　crowd　watched　the　entertainment　from　Kew　Bridge　with　much　

interest；　and　everybody　shouted　out　to　them　different　directions。　　Three　

times　they　managed　to　get　the　boat　back　through　the　arch；　and　three　times　

they　were　carried　under　it　again；　and　every　time　〃cox〃　looked　up　and　saw　

the　bridge　above　him　he　broke　out　into　renewed　sobs。



George　said　he　little　thought　that　afternoon　that　he　should　ever　come　to　

really　like　boating。



Harris　is　more　accustomed　to　sea　rowing　than　to　river　work；　and　says　

that；　as　an　exercise；　he　prefers　it。　　I　don't。　　I　remember　taking　a　small　

boat　out　at　Eastbou