three men in a boat-第32节

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over　the　town；　the　next　morning；　that　a　fearful　murder　had　been　committed　

at　Mr。　Jefferson's　the　night　before；　and　would　describe　how　they　had　

heard　the　victim's　shrieks　and　the　brutal　oaths　and　curses　of　the　

murderer；　followed　by　the　prayer　for　mercy；　and　the　last　dying　gurgle　of　

the　corpse。



So　they　let　him　practise　in　the　day…time；　in　the　back…kitchen　with　all　

the　doors　shut；　but　his　more　successful　passages　could　generally　be　heard　

in　the　sitting…room；　in　spite　of　these　precautions；　and　would　affect　his　

mother　almost　to　tears。



She　said　it　put　her　in　mind　of　her　poor　father　（he　had　been　swallowed　by　

a　shark；　poor　man；　while　bathing　off　the　coast　of　New　Guinea　…　where　the　

connection　came　in；　she　could　not　explain）。



Then　they　knocked　up　a　little　place　for　him　at　the　bottom　of　the　garden；　

about　quarter　of　a　mile　from　the　house；　and　made　him　take　the　machine　

down　there　when　he　wanted　to　work　it；　and　sometimes　a　visitor　would　come　

to　the　house　who　knew　nothing　of　the　matter；　and　they　would　forget　to　

tell　him　all　about　it；　and　caution　him；　and　he　would　go　out　for　a　stroll　

round　the　garden　and　suddenly　get　within　earshot　of　those　bagpipes；　

without　being　prepared　for　it；　or　knowing　what　it　was。　　If　he　were　a　man　

of　strong　mind；　it　only　gave　him　fits；　but　a　person　of　mere　average　

intellect　it　usually　sent　mad。



There　is；　it　must　be　confessed；　something　very　sad　about　the　early　

efforts　of　an　amateur　in　bagpipes。　　I　have　felt　that　myself　when　

listening　to　my　young　friend。　　They　appear　to　be　a　trying　instrument　to　

perform　upon。　　You　have　to　get　enough　breath　for　the　whole　tune　before　

you　start　…　at　least；　so　I　gathered　from　watching　Jefferson。



He　would　begin　magnificently　with　a　wild；　full；　come…to…the…battle　sort　

of　a　note；　that　quite　roused　you。　　But　he　would　get　more　and　more　piano　

as　he　went　on；　and　the　last　verse　generally　collapsed　in　the　middle　with　

a　splutter　and　a　hiss。



You　want　to　be　in　good　health　to　play　the　bagpipes。



Young　Jefferson　only　learnt　to　play　one　tune　on　those　bagpipes；　but　I　

never　heard　any　complaints　about　the　insufficiency　of　his　repertoire　…　

none　whatever。　　This　tune　was　〃The　Campbells　are　Coming；　Hooray　…　

Hooray！〃　so　he　said；　though　his　father　always　held　that　it　was　〃The　Blue　

Bells　of　Scotland。〃　　Nobody　seemed　quite　sure　what　it　was　exactly；　but　

they　all　agreed　that　it　sounded　Scotch。



Strangers　were　allowed　three　guesses；　and　most　of　them　guessed　a　

different　tune　each　time。



Harris　was　disagreeable　after　supper；　…　I　think　it　must　have　been　the　

stew　that　had　upset　him：　he　is　not　used　to　high　living；　…　so　George　and　I　

left　him　in　the　boat；　and　settled　to　go　for　a　mouch　round　Henley。　　He　

said　he　should　have　a　glass　of　whisky　and　a　pipe；　and　fix　things　up　for　

the　night。　　We　were　to　shout　when　we　returned；　and　he　would　row　over　from　

the　island　and　fetch　us。



〃Don't　go　to　sleep；　old　man；〃　we　said　as　we　started。



〃Not　much　fear　of　that　while　this　stew's　on；〃　he　grunted；　as　he　pulled　

back　to　the　island。



Henley　was　getting　ready　for　the　regatta；　and　was　full　of　bustle。　　We　met　

a　goodish　number　of　men　we　knew　about　the　town；　and　in　their　pleasant　

company　the　time　slipped　by　somewhat　quickly；　so　that　it　was　nearly　

eleven　o'clock　before　we　set　off　on　our　four…mile　walk　home　…　as　we　had　

learned　to　call　our　little　craft　by　this　time。



It　was　a　dismal　night；　coldish；　with　a　thin　rain　falling；　and　as　we　

trudged　through　the　dark；　silent　fields；　talking　low　to　each　other；　and　

wondering　if　we　were　going　right　or　not；　we　thought　of　the　cosy　boat；　

with　the　bright　light　streaming　through　the　tight…drawn　canvas；　of　Harris　

and　Montmorency；　and　the　whisky；　and　wished　that　we　were　there。



We　conjured　up　the　picture　of　ourselves　inside；　tired　and　a　little　

hungry；　of　the　gloomy　river　and　the　shapeless　trees；　and；　like　a　giant　

glow…worm　underneath　them；　our　dear　old　boat；　so　snug　and　warm　and　

cheerful。　　We　could　see　ourselves　at　supper　there；　pecking　away　at　cold　

meat；　and　passing　each　other　chunks　of　bread；　we　could　hear　the　cheery　

clatter　of　our　knives；　the　laughing　voices；　filling　all　the　space；　and　

overflowing　through　the　opening　out　into　the　night。　　And　we　hurried　on　to　

realise　the　vision。



We　struck　the　tow…path　at　length；　and　that　made　us　happy；　because　prior　

to　this　we　had　not　been　sure　whether　we　were　walking　towards　the　river　or　

away　from　it；　and　when　you　are　tired　and　want　to　go　to　bed　uncertainties　

like　that　worry　you。　　We　passed　Skiplake　as　the　clock　was　striking　the　

quarter　to　twelve；　and　then　George　said；　thoughtfully：



〃You　don't　happen　to　remember　which　of　the　islands　it　was；　do　you？〃



〃No；〃　I　replied；　beginning　to　grow　thoughtful　too；　〃I　don't。　　How　many　

are　there？〃



〃Only　four；〃　answered　George。　　〃It　will　be　all　right；　if　he's　awake。〃



〃And　if　not？〃　I　queried；　but　we　dismissed　that　train　of　thought。



We　shouted　when　we　came　opposite　the　first　island；　but　there　was　no　

response；　so　we　went　to　the　second；　and　tried　there；　and　obtained　the　

same　result。



〃Oh！　　I　remember　now；〃　said　George；　〃it　was　the　third　one。〃



And　we　ran　on　hopefully　to　the　third　one；　and　hallooed。



No　answer！



The　case　was　becoming　serious。　it　was　now　past　midnight。　　The　hotels　at　

Skiplake　and　Henley　would　be　crammed；　and　we　could　not　go　round；　knocking　

up　cottagers　and　householders　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　to　know　if　they　

let　apartments！　　George　suggested　walking　back　to　Henley　and　assaulting　a　

policeman；　and　so　getting　a　night's　lodging　in　the　station…house。　　But　

then　there　was　the　thought；　〃Suppose　he　only　hits　us　back　and　refuses　to　

lock　us　up！〃



We　could　not　pass　the　whole　night　fighting　policemen。　　Besides；　we　did　

not　want　to　overdo　the　thing　and　get　six　months。



We　despairingly　tried　what　seemed　in　the　darkness　to　be　the　fourth　

island；　but　met　with　no　better　success。　　The　rain　was　coming　down　fast　

now；　and　evidently　meant　to　last。　　We　were　wet　to　the　skin；　and　cold　and　

miserable。　　We　began　to　wonder　whether　there　were　only　four　islands　or　

more；　or　whether　we　were　near　the　islands　at　all；　or　whether　we　were　

anywhere　within　a　mile　of　where　we　ought　to　be；　or　in　the　wrong　part　of　

the　river　altogether；　everything　looked　so　strange　and　different　in　the　

darkness。　　We　began　to　understand　the　sufferings　of　the　Babes　in　the　

Wood。



Just　when　we　had　given　up　all　hope　…　yes；　I　know　that　is　always　the　time　

that　things　do　happen　in　novels　and　tales；　but　I　can't　help　it。　　I　

resolved；　when　I　began　to　write　this　book；　that　I　would　be　strictly　

truthful　in　all　things；　and　so　I　will　be；　even　if　I　have　to　employ　

hackneyed　phrases　for　the　purpose。



It　WAS　just　when　we　had　given　up　all　hope；　and　I　must　therefore　say　so。　　

Just　when　we　had　given　up　all　hope；　then；　I　suddenly　caught　sight；　a　

little　way　below　us；　of　a　strange；　weird　sort　of　glimmer　flickering　among　

the　trees　on　the　opposite　bank。　　For　an　instant　I　thought　of　ghosts：　it　

was　such　a　shadowy；　mysterious　light。　　The　next　moment　it　flashed　across　

me　that　it　was　our　boat；　and　I　sent　up　such　a　yell　across　the　water　that　

made　the　night　seem　to　shake　in　its　bed。



We　waited　breathless　for　a　minute；　and　then　…　oh！　divinest　music　of　the　

darkness！　…　we　heard　the　answering　bark　of　Montmorency。　　We　shouted　back　

loud　enough　to　wake　the　Seven　Sleepers　…　I　never　could　understand　myself　

why　it　should　take　more　noise　to　wake　seven　sleepers　than　one　…　and；　

after　what　seemed　an　hour；　but　what　was　really；　I　suppose；　about　five　

minutes；　we　saw　the　lighted　boat　creeping　slowly　over　the　blackness；　and　

heard　Harris's　sleepy　voice　asking　where　we　were。



There　was　an　unaccountable　strangeness　about　Harris。　　It　was　something　

more　than　mere　ordinary　tiredness。　　He　pulled　the　boat　against　a　part　of　

the　bank　from　which　it　was　quite　impossible　for　us　to　get　into　it；　and　

immediately　went　to　sleep。　　It　took　us　an　immense　amount　of　screaming　and　

roaring　to　wake　him　up　again　and　put　some　sense　into　him；　but　we　

succeeded　at　last；　and　got　safely　on　board。



Harris　had　a　sad　expression　on　him；　so　we　noticed；　when　we　got　into　the　

boat。　　He　gave　you　the　idea　of　a　man　who　had　been　through　trouble。　　We　

asked　him　if　anything　had　happened；　and　he　said…



〃Swans！〃



It　seemed　we　had　moored　close　to　a　swan's　nest；　and；　soon　after　George　

and　I　had　gone；　the　female　swan　came　back；　and　kicked　up　a　row　about　it。　　

Harris　had　chivied　her　off；　and　she　had　gone　away；　and　fetched　up　her　old　

man。　　Harris　said　he　had　had　quite　a　fight　with　these　two　swans；　but　

courage　and　skill　had　prevailed　in　the　end；　and　he　had　defeated　them。



Half…an…hour　afterwards　they　returned　with　eighteen　other　swans！　　It　must　

have　been　a　fearful　battle；　so　far　as　we　could　understand　Harris's　

account　of　it。　　The　swans　had　tried　to　drag　him　and　Montmorency　out　of　

the　boat　and　drown　them；