Lab
Library
Journal
Shop
Sign in
to keep
Share image
1
150
Literary Lapses
·
Stephen Leacock
147
The
first
time
that
ever
I
saw
these
men
was
one
evening
after
a
regatta.
They
had
all
been
rowing
in
it,
and
it
had
transpired
that
A
could
row
as
much
in
one
hour
as
B
in
two,
or
C
in
four.
B
and
C
had
come
in
dead
fagged
and
C
was
coughing
badly.
"Never
mind,
old
fellow,"
I
heard
B
say,
"I'll
fix
you
up
on
the
sofa
and
get
you
some
hot
tea."
Just
then
A
came
blustering
in
and
shouted,
"I
say,
you
fellows,
Hamlin
Smith
has
shown
me
three
cisterns
in
his
garden
and
he
says
we
can
pump
them
until
to-morrow
night.
I
bet
I
can
beat
you
both.
Come
on.
You
can
pump
in
your
rowing
things,
you
know.
Your
cistern
leaks
a
little,
I
think,
C."
I
heard
B
growl
that
it
was
a
dirty
shame
and
that
C
was
used
up
now,
but
they
went,
and
presently
I
could
tell
from
the
sound
of
the
water
that
A
was
pumping
four
times
as
fast
as
C.
For
years
after
that
I
used
to
see
them
constantly
about
town
and
always
busy.
I
never
heard
of
any
of
them
eating
or
sleeping.
Then
owing
to
a
long
absence
from
home,
I
lost
sight
of
them.
On
my
return
I
was
surprised
to
no
longer
find
A,
B,
and
C
at
their
accustomed
tasks;
on
inquiry
I
heard
that
work
in
this
line
was
now
done
by
N,
M,
and
O,
and
that
some
people
were
employing
for
algebraical
jobs
four
foreigners
called
Alpha,
Beta,
Gamma,
and
Delta.
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
