Page 118 - English Expedition Class 6

When I had fi nished, George asked if the soap was in. I said I didn’t care a hang whether the
8
soap was in or whether it wasn’t; and I slammed the bag to and strapped it, and found that I had
packed my tobacco-pouch in it, and had to re-open it. It got shut up fi nally at 10:05 p.m., and then
there remained the hampers to do. Harris said that we should be wanting to start in less than twelve
hours’ time, and thought that he and George had better do the rest. I agreed and sat down, and they
had a go.
Th ey began in a light-hearted spirit, evidently intending to show me how to do it. I made no
comment; I only waited. When George is hanged, Harris will be the worst packer in this world.
I looked at the piles of plates and cups, and kettles, and bottles and jars, and pies, and stoves, and
cakes, and tomatoes, etc., and felt that the thing would soon become exciting.
It did. Th ey started with breaking a cup. Th at was the fi rst thing they did. Th ey did that just to
show you what they could do, and to get you interested.
Th en Harris packed the strawberry jam on top of a tomato and squashed it, and they had to
pick out the tomato with a teaspoon.
And then it was George’s turn, and he trod on the butter. I didn’t say anything, but I came over
and sat on the edge of the table and watched them. It irritated them more than anything I could
have said. I felt that. It made them nervous and excited, and they stepped on things, and put things
behind them, and then couldn’t fi nd them when they wanted them; and they packed the pies at the
bottom, and put heavy things on top, and smashed the pies in.
Th ey upset salt over everything, and as for
the butter! I never saw two men do more with
• How many times did the narrator
one-and-twopence worth of butter in my whole
have to repack the bag before he was
life than they did. Aft er George had got it off
fi nally fi nished?
his slipper, they tried to put it in the kettle. It
• Did the mistakes of George and
wouldn’t go in, and what was in wouldn’t come
Harris get progressively worse as they
9
out. Th ey did scrape it out at last, and put it
packed? Why?
down on a chair, and Harris sat on it, and it
• What troubles did George and Harris
stuck to him, and they went looking for it all
have with the butter?
over the room.
‘I’ll take my oath I put it down on that chair,’
said George, staring at the empty seat.
‘I saw you do it myself, not a minute ago,’ said Harris.
Th en they started round the room again looking for it; and then they met again in the centre,
and stared at one another.
‘Most extraordinary thing I ever heard of,’ said George.
‘So mysterious!’ said Harris.
Th en George got round at the back of Harris and saw it.
10
‘Why, here it is all the time!’ he exclaimed, indignantly .
‘Where?’ cried Harris, spinning round.

8 10
care a hang: care at all indignantly: in an annoyed manner
9
scrape it out: remove it by dragging something sharp and
hard like a knife across it
108