Chapter 10

           HarrisandIbegantothinkthatBellWeirlockmusthavebeendoneawaywithafterthesamemanner. GeorgehadtowedusuptoStaines,andwehadtakentheboatfromthere,anditseemedthatweweredraggingfiftytonsafterus,andwerewalkingfortymiles. Itwashalf-pastsevenwhenwewerethrough,andweallgotin,andsculledupclosetotheleftbank,lookingoutforaspottohaulupin. 

           WehadoriginallyintendedtogoontoMagnaChartaIsland,asweetlyprettypartoftheriver,whereitwindsthroughasoft,greenvalley,andtocampinoneofthemanypicturesqueinletstobefoundroundthattinyshore. But,somehow,wedidnotfeelthatweyearnedforthepicturesquenearlysomuchnowaswehadearlierintheday. Abitofwaterbetweenacoal-bargeandagas-workswouldhavequitesatisfiedusforthatnight. Wedidnotwantscenery. Wewantedtohaveoursupperandgotobed. However,wedidpulluptothepoint—"PicnicPoint,"itiscalled—anddroppedintoaverypleasantnookunderagreatelm-tree,tothespreadingrootsofwhichwefastenedtheboat. 

           Thenwethoughtweweregoingtohavesupper(wehaddispensedwithtea,soastosavetime),butGeorgesaidno;thatwehadbettergetthecanvasupfirst,beforeitgotquitedark,andwhilewecouldseewhatweweredoing. Then,hesaid,allourworkwouldbedone,andwecouldsitdowntoeatwithaneasymind. 

           ThatcanvaswantedmoreputtingupthanIthinkanyofushadbargainedfor. Itlookedsosimpleintheabstract.