Троє в човні крім собаки
Chapter 9
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.