124 THE OPEN AIR, 



had got them over. They could not have been more 

 unhappy than I was on the towing-path, as the ferry- 

 boat receded and left me watching the continuous 

 succession of boats passing up and down the river. 



By-and-by an immense black hulk came drifting 

 round the bend an empty barge almost broadside 

 across the stream, for the current at the curve 

 naturally carried it out from the shore. This huge 

 helpless monster occupied the whole river, and had 

 no idea where it was going, for it had no fins or 

 sweeps to guide its course, and the rudder could only 

 induce it to submit itself lengthways to the stream 

 after the lapse of some time. The fairway of the 

 river was entirely taken up by this irresponsible 

 Frankenstein of the Thames, which some one had 

 started, but which now did as it liked. Some of the 

 small craft got up into the willows and waited ; some 

 seemed to narrowly escape being crushed against a 

 wall on the opposite bank. The bright white sails 

 of a yacht shook and quivered as its steersman tried 

 all he knew to coax his vessel an inch more into the 

 wind out of the monster's path. In vain ! He had 

 to drop down the stream, and lose what it had taken 

 him half an hour's skill to gain. What a pleasing 

 monster to meet in the narrow arches of a bridge ! 

 The man in charge leaned on the tiller, and placidly 

 gazed at the wild efforts of some unskilful oarsmen 

 to escape collision. In fact, the monster had charge 

 of the man, and did as it liked with him. 



Down the river they drifted together, Frankenstein 

 swinging round and thrusting his blunt nose first 

 this way and then that ; down the river, blocking 



