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This would make the writer mad with anger. The writer adds that he
could not sit idle and watch others work like slaves. On the other hand,
he liked to check their work, walk around with his hands in his pockets
and direct them on how to do the work properly. He feels that as he was
energetic, it was a part of his nature to behave in that manner.

However, I did not say anything, but started the packing. It seemed a
longer job than I had thought it was going to be; but I got the bag
finished at last, and I sat on it and strapped it. “Ain’t you going to put the
boots in?” said Harris. And I looked round, and found I had forgotten
them. That’s just like Harris. He couldn’t have said a word until I’d got
the bag shut and strapped, of course. And George laughed — one of
those irritating, senseless laughs of his. They do make me so wild.

strapped it: closed it
Wild: mad with anger

The writer did not say anything to his friends and started packing. As he
closed it, Harris said that he had forgotten to pack the boots. The writer
felt that Harris could have reminded him before he had closed the bag
but he thought that Harris was like that! This was followed by an irritating
laughter by George which made Jerome wild with anger.

I opened the bag and packed the boots in; and then, just as I was going
to close it, a horrible idea occurred to me. Had I packed my toothbrush?
I don’t know how it is, but I never do know whether I’ve packed my
toothbrush.

Jerome opened the bag to keep the boots in it. As he was about to close
it, he was struck by a strange thought that had he kept the toothbrush or
not. He says that he never remembers if he has packed the toothbrush
or not.

My toothbrush is a thing that haunts me when I’m travelling, and makes
my life a misery. I dream that I haven’t packed it, and wake up in a cold
perspiration, and get out of bed and hunt for it. And, in the morning, I
pack it before I have used it, and have to unpack again to get it, and it is
always the last thing I turn out of the bag; and then I repack and forget it,
and have to rush upstairs for it at the last moment and carry it to the
railway station, wrapped up in my pocket-handkerchief.

Haunts: to repeatedly give trouble
Misery: sad
cold perspiration: sweat
Hunt: search

Jerome adds that while travelling, he always messes up with carrying his
toothbrush. He has nightmares of not having packed it, wakes up in
sweat and looks for it. In the morning, he packs it before using it, then