'RIVER ANTELOPE?!' mooed Captain Bill.
'Freshwater river antelope,' corrected Cyril.
'Really?' said Captain Bill.
'Clear case,' replied Cyril, 'once you get an infestation of them in a boat anything can happen.'
Captain Bill looked at Cyril and then herded a bit closer to him.
'And how exactly do they 'infest'?' he asked.
'They burrow,' replied a very straight faced Cyril.
'Burrow!' said Captain Bill, 'burrow!'
'Yep,' replied Cyril.
Captain Bill moved a bit closer.
'And you're seriously suggesting that that's why the opposition's boat snapped clean in two halfway through the race?'
'Obvious,' replied Cyril.
Captain Bill was now very close to Cyril.
'I could see the saw marks from here,' he hissed.
'Evolution,' replied Cyril.
'EVOLUTION!!' shouted Captain Bill.
'Mmm,' replied Cyril, 'what with the harsh reality of a daily struggle of life and death on the inland waterways of a rowing regatta course. It was only a question of time before the Saw Nosed, Burrowing, Freshwater River Antelope emerged... and a good job it did really,' he added.
Captain Bill gave Cyril his best 'look'.
'I suppose it does mean we're through to the next round.' he conceded, 'we would have lost otherwise.'
Which was true because Team Cow Island had been quite a way behind when the 'accident' had happened.
'Our lot just need a bit more practice,' said Cyril.
'Possibly,' agreed Captain Bill, 'but I'm warning you, don't ever do anything like that ever again... unless it's absolutely necessary!'
And Cyril agreed that he wouldn't... unless it was.
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