Трое в лодке не считая собаки

           Itwasstillearlywhenwegotsettled,andGeorgesaidthat,aswehadplentyoftime,itwouldbeasplendidopportunitytotryagood,slap-upsupper. Hesaidhewouldshowuswhatcouldbedoneuptheriverinthewayofcooking,andsuggestedthat,withthevegetablesandtheremainsofthecoldbeefandgeneraloddsandends,weshouldmakeanIrishstew. 

           Itseemedafascinatingidea. Georgegatheredwoodandmadeafire,andHarrisandIstartedtopeelthepotatoes. Ishouldneverhavethoughtthatpeelingpotatoeswassuchanundertaking. ThejobturnedouttobethebiggestthingofitskindthatIhadeverbeenin. Webegancheerfully,onemightalmostsayskittishly,butourlight-heartednesswasgonebythetimethefirstpotatowasfinished. Themorewepeeled,themorepeelthereseemedtobelefton;bythetimewehadgotallthepeeloffandalltheeyesout,therewasnopotatoleft—atleastnoneworthspeakingof. Georgecameandhadalookatit—itwasaboutthesizeofapea-nut. Hesaid: 

           "Oh,thatwon’tdo!You’rewastingthem.Youmustscrapethem." 

           Sowescrapedthem,andthatwasharderworkthanpeeling. Theyaresuchanextraordinaryshape,potatoes—allbumpsandwartsandhollows. Weworkedsteadilyforfive-and-twentyminutes,anddidfourpotatoes. Thenwestruck. Wesaidweshouldrequiretherestoftheeveningforscrapingourselves. 

           Ineversawsuchathingaspotato-scrapingformakingafellowinamess.