Трое в лодке не считая собаки

           Wewerepullingdownstream,and,aswecameroundthebend,wenoticedacoupleofmenonthebank. TheywerelookingateachotherwithasbewilderedandhelplesslymiserableexpressionasIhaveeverwitnessedonanyhumancountenancebeforeorsince,andtheyheldalongtow-linebetweenthem. Itwasclearthatsomethinghadhappened,soweeasedupandaskedthemwhatwasthematter. 

           "Why,ourboat’sgoneoff!"theyrepliedinanindignanttone. "Wejustgotouttodisentanglethetow-line,andwhenwelookedround,itwasgone!" 

           Andtheyseemedhurtatwhattheyevidentlyregardedasameanandungratefulactonthepartoftheboat. 

           Wefoundthetruantforthemhalfamilefurtherdown,heldbysomerushes,andwebroughtitbacktothem. Ibettheydidnotgivethatboatanotherchanceforaweek. 

           Ishallneverforgetthepictureofthosetwomenwalkingupanddownthebankwithatow-line,lookingfortheirboat. 

           Oneseesagoodmanyfunnyincidentsuptheriverinconnectionwithtowing. Oneofthemostcommonisthesightofacoupleoftowers,walkingbrisklyalong,deepinananimateddiscussion,whilethemanintheboat,ahundredyardsbehindthem,isvainlyshriekingtothemtostop,andmakingfranticsignsofdistresswithascull. Somethinghasgonewrong;therudderhascomeoff,ortheboat-hookhasslippedoverboard,orhishathasdroppedintothewaterandisfloatingrapidlydownstream. 

           Hecallstothemtostop,quitegentlyandpolitelyatfirst.