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The dogs made a meal of the smart water-proof sheets, and Jan ate Beeching's show pair of moccasins. The whole business forms a wretched and shameful record that need not be prolonged. Harry lay groaning on the sled, and had been there, too lame to walk, he said, too despicable, perhaps, for Death's consideration, for three days and more.
The swift, positive, and ordered evolutions of those smoothly running days seemed merely miraculous in retrospect as Jan compared his memory of them with the wretched muddle of Beeching's wasteful scramble across the country: They carried no trade goods, nothing save the necessary dog-food and creature-comforts for the two men; yet their sled an extra-large one was half as heavy again to pull as Jean's had been, despite the ten primely conditioned dogs who made up Beeching's "flash" team.
After six months' careful, patient investigation and experiment, they awarded the prize to Mr James Beeching, of Great Yarmouth. Beeching's boat, although the best, was not, however, deemed perfect.
The difficulty was cleared up when we saw the model. Beeching's boat had a double floor, the upper one raised to a little above the level of the sea. The escapes were short metal pipes, the upper openings of which were fitted into holes in the upper floor. The lower ends passed through the bottom of the boat.
But Jan did see Willis, and the loose skin of his battered shoulders even shrank a little, in anticipation of a blow. Jan thought himself still in the traces. The moment Willis spoke his low "My God!" Jan fancied he had heard the old order to "Mush on!" and doubtless that another blow from the haft of Beeching's whip was due.
In a neat little verse after the manner of Beeching's and Mackail's celebrated verses on the Balliol Dons verse modelled, it may be noted, on the pageant of Kings and Queens in Swinburne's Poems and Ballads, Fry thus delineated me: I am Strachey, never bored By Webster, Massinger or Ford; There is no line of any poet Which can be quoted, but I know it.
Besides the above advantages, Mr Beeching's boat was fitted with the usual air-cases round the sides, and with a thick stripe of cork outside the gunwale; also with lines hanging over the sides in festoons, so that any one in the water, using them as stirrups, might get into the boat with ease.
The committee therefore set Mr James Peake, one of their number, and assistant master-shipwright at Woolwich Dockyard, to incorporate as many as possible of the good qualities of all the other models with Beeching's boat.
I could not be fitted neatly into Oxford life. I have mentioned Fry's rhyme about me. I must also mention Beeching's verse, or at any rate the first couplet the rest, though friendly enough, was not worthy of the opening: Spoken jest of Strachey, shall it Fail to raise a smile in Mallet?
Mr Beeching's boat united all three qualities. Its self-righting principle was effected by means of two raised air-cases, one at the stem, the other at the stern, and a heavy metal keel.
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