up the raincoat which somebody has dropped; and then, judging the distance to a nicety, you simply shove the raincoat over the bird’s head; and, taking the boat-hook which you have prudently brought with you, you insert it underneath the swan and heave. The swan goes into a bush and starts trying to unscramble itself; and you saunter back to your boat, taking with you any friends who may happen at the moment to be sitting on roofs in the vicinity. That was Jeeves’s method, and I cannot see how it could have been improved upon.
The Right Hon. showing a turn of speed of which I would not have believed him capable, we were in the boat in considerably under two ticks.
“You behaved very intelligently, my man,” said the Right Hon. as we pushed away from the shore.
“I endeavour to give satisfaction, sir.”
The Right Hon. appeared to have said his say for the time being. From that moment he seemed to sort of huddle up and meditate. Dashed absorbed he was. Even when I caught a crab and shot about a pint of water down his neck he didn’t seem to notice it.
It was only when we were landing that he came to life again.
“ Mr. Wooster.”
“Oh, ah?”
“I have been thinking of that matter of which I spoke to you some time back—the problem of how my boat can have got adrift.”
I didn’t like this.
“The dickens of a problem,” I said. “Insoluble, I should call it. Better not bother about it any more.”