This struck me as being tolerably cool, sauce being evidently at least as much in his line as in mine.
"My little game, sir, is a saunter on the stream. Good-bye."
And with that I pulled away. The stranger became almost inarticulate with rage.
"Set me alongside of 'im! put me aboard of 'im! I'll knock 'is somethinged 'ead off 'is somethinged shoulders!"
His friends yelled in chorus. One shouted question caught my ear.
"What are you doing along of the bloke's wife?"
I looked at my companion.
"Is it possible that the gentleman is your husband?"
"Course 'e is. You put me into the boat 'long with 'im right away! Tom and Joe, they're friends of 'is, but you ain't no friend of 'is, nor yet of mine. I don't want to get into no trouble along o' you! Do you 'ear what I tell you, put me into 'is boat!"
"With the greatest possible pleasure."