boys stood in crab-like attitudes of
expectation, ready to fly, for the divit took the exact course thus
indicated, and bounding down the bank, hit MacRummle fair on his broad
back.

The guilty ones dived like rabbits into the bracken.

"Bless me!" exclaimed the old gentleman, jumping up and shaking the dry
earth off. "This is most remarkable. I do believe I've been asleep.
But why the bank should take to crumbling down upon me is more than I
can understand. Hallo! A fish! You don't deserve such luck, Dick, my
boy."

Winding in the line in a way which proved that the divit had done him no
harm, he gave utterance to an exclamation of huge disgust as he drew an
eel to the bank, with the line entangled hopelessly about its shiny
body. This was too much for MacRummle. Unable to face the misery of
disentanglement, he cut the line, despatched the eel, attached a new
hook, and continued his occupation.

At the head of the pool in question the bank was so precipitous and high
that the boys could see only the top of the rod swinging gracefully to
and fro as the patient man pursued his sport. Suddenly the top of the
rod described a wild figure in the air and disappeared. At the same
moment a heavy plunge was heard.

"Hech! he's tum'led in the pool," gasped Donald.

They rushed to the overhanging edge of the cliff and looked down. Sure
enough MacRummle was in the water. They expected to see him swim, for
Junkie knew he was an expert swimmer; but the poor man was floating
quietly down with the current, his head under water.

"Banged his heed, what-e-ver!" cried Donald, jumping up and bounding
down the bank to the lower and shallow end of the pool. Quick though he
was, Junkie outran him; but the unfortunate MacRummle was
unintentionally quicker than either, for they found him stranded when
they got there.

Running into the water, they seized him by the hair and the collar of
his coat, and dragged him into the shallow part easily enough, but they
had not strength to haul him ashore.

"Fetch a divit, Tonal'--a big one, an' I'll keep up his head."

One of the masses of recent artillery was fetched, and the fisher's head
was gently pillowed on it, so as to be well out of the water.

"There's no cut that I can see," said Junkie, inspecting the head
critically; "he's only stunned, I think. Noo, Tonal', cut away to the
hoose. Run as ye never ran before and tell them. I'll stop beside him
for fear his heed slip