The chapter commences with three friends – Jerome, George, and Harry – embarking on a boating expedition on the Thames. It's early morning, and while Jerome and George have been up for an hour sharing tales and experiences, Harry continues to doze off. After prodding him awake, the trio peers out at the river, contemplating their pre-planned morning swim.
The night before, their plan had seemed exciting – to wake up at dawn, strip off their blankets, and dive into the river. But now, faced with the reality of the chilly water and cold wind, their enthusiasm dampens significantly. When Harry asks who's going to dive in first, both George and Harry opt out, choosing to dress for the day instead. This leaves Jerome, the originator of the swimming plan, to decide what to do.
Feeling pressure to uphold his initial idea, Jerome musters up the courage to at least dip his legs into the water. As he positions himself on a tree branch over the water, he has a change of heart and decides to return to the boat. But as fate would have it, the branch snaps and Jerome, along with his towel, plunges into the river.
Surprised by Jerome's unintended bravery, Harry and George watch from the boat. Despite Jerome's insistence that the water is delightful and that they should join him, they choose to remain dry. Upon returning to the boat, Jerome rushes to dress, accidentally throwing a shirt into the water. George finds this hilarious until he discovers that it's his shirt that is now soaking wet.
The realization that it was George's shirt that was lost ignites laughter in Jerome, who finds the situation amusing. This leaves George enraged, springing up to recover his shirt. Harry finds the entire situation quite entertaining, suggesting that George got a taste of his own medicine.
In essence, this chapter is a lighthearted vignette, presenting the friends' boating excursion filled with unexpected turns, unintended swims, and a healthy dose of camaraderie and humour.