"Look out for the swan, Jeeves."
"I have the bird under close observation, sir."
The swan had been uncoiling a further supply of neck in our direction,
but now he whipped round. The sound of a voice speaking in his rear
seemed to affect him powerfully. He subjected Jeeves to a short, keen
scrutiny; and then, taking in some breath for hissing purposes, gave a
sort of jump and charged ahead.
"Look out, Jeeves!"
"Very good, sir."
Well, I could have told that swan it was no use. As swans go, he may
have been well up in the ranks of the intelligentsia, but when it came
to pitting his brains against Jeeves he was simply wasting his time. He
might just as well have gone home at once.
Every young man starting life ought to know how to cope with an angry
swan, so I will briefly relate the proper procedure. You start by
picking 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 boathook 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 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."