‘Oh, yes, certainly if you like,’ he answered, ‘I haven’t got a punt, but we’ll soon get one.’ We all trooped down the steps, and Freddy pirated the punt of some unknown scholar, while Reggie fetched the Pilot’s cushions from the adjoining barge. ‘Now who’s going to pole?’ said Maisie. ‘O, Martha’ll punt,’ said Freddy, ‘he rather likes it.’ ‘All right, I’ll take her down,’ I said, ‘if you’ll bring us back, Freddy.’ This struck me as rather a cute dodge, for the stream will take anybody down, whereas punting back up the river through about a hundred other boats is a serious task. Freddy however assented immediately, and we got under weigh, leaving Reggie with Accrington’s sister. After we had secured a place in the long line down the tow-path side we spent the time very pleasantly in consuming sponge rusks borrowed from a Barabbas’ man next door who had a tea-party in full swing. This same party was amalgamated with that of Hanbury, and from the bottom of his punt the Bugg suddenly bobbed up and hailed us effusively. Blitherington wanted to move on at once, but we pointed out that we should not get such a good position anywhere else, and also that the Barabbas’ rusks were very delectable. We had been there fully five minutes when Miss Bugg gave vent to a terrible screech, and we noticed that Jacob’s back was blazing furiously with blue fire from the spirit lamp which the Bugg had upset over him. She took off her cloak and endeavoured to smother the flames, but Hanbury very unfeelingly threw Jacob into the water to the great distress of Ophelia, who screamed louder than ever. We might have had every canoe and punt in the river paddling up to ascertain who was being murdered, but Blitherington quietly drew a cushion from beneath Muriel’s head and with a well directed shot caught Ophelia in the back of the neck. This treatment appeared to soothe Miss Bugg, though the aforementioned six maiden aunts made some remark about ‘an unmannerly young cub,’ and we had to persuade the Pilot, who passed at that moment in a Canader, to take his lordship with him. Soon after this all the first division except Thomas’ and Lichfield rowed by us, the former having bumped the latter just above the Gut. Immediately the last boat had gone by we pulled up our pole and started up stream under the energetic if erratic guidance of Freddy. When we came opposite the ’Varsity Boat-house we collided with a punt which contained three elderly ladies and a harassed-looking clergyman, punted by a meek individual who must have come from Park Temple. Freddy, having bumped the Parson’s elbow, sheered off in the opposite direction and ran into the stern of a canoe, the owner of which quietly ladled a few quarts of water over Maisie’s dress.