Трое в лодке не считая собаки

           Wecouldnotallstarttogether,soIsaidIwouldgodownfirstandgetoutthepunt,andthenIcouldpotteraboutandpracticeabituntiltheycame. 

           Icouldnotgetapuntoutthatafternoon,theywereallengaged;soIhadnothingelsetodobuttositdownonthebank,watchingtheriver,andwaitingformyfriends. 

           Ihadnotbeensittingtherelongbeforemyattentionbecameattractedtoamaninapuntwho,Inoticedwithsomesurprise,woreajacketandcapexactlylikemine. Hewasevidentlyanoviceatpunting,andhisperformancewasmostinteresting. Youneverknewwhatwasgoingtohappenwhenheputthepolein;heevidentlydidnotknowhimself. Sometimesheshotupstreamandsometimesheshotdownstream,andatothertimeshesimplyspunroundandcameuptheothersideofthepole. Andwitheveryresultheseemedequallysurprisedandannoyed. 

           Thepeopleabouttheriverbegantogetquiteabsorbedinhimafterawhile,andtomakebetswithoneanotherastowhatwouldbetheoutcomeofhisnextpush. 

           Inthecourseoftimemyfriendsarrivedontheoppositebank,andtheystoppedandwatchedhimtoo. Hisbackwastowardsthem,andtheyonlysawhisjacketandcap. FromthistheyimmediatelyjumpedtotheconclusionthatitwasI,theirbelovedcompanion,whowasmakinganexhibitionofhimself,andtheirdelightknewnobounds. Theycommencedtochaffhimunmercifully.