er, telling him that he had ridden on
horses, donkeys, mules, and once each on a cow, a camel and an elephant;
in all sorts of carriages, carts and waggons, even to a gun carriage,
but never on a pole behind an ox team. Had he any objections to letting
him and his friend get aboard? The coloured gentleman showed a fine set
of ivory, and said he had no dejections in the leas', and guessed the
oxen didn't hab none. "The po-ul," he remarked, "is thar, not foh ridin'
on, but ter keep the axles apaht, so's ter load on bodes and squab
timbah. If yoh's that way inclined, the po-ul aint a gwine ter break
frew, not with yoh dismenshuns. Guess the oxen doan hab ter stop fer yoh
bof ter git aboahd?"

"Not a bit," said Coristine, as he jumped on the pole behind the driver.
"Come on, Wilks, it's a cross between the tight rope and the tiller of
the _Susan Thomas_." But the dominie refused to be charmed or inveigled
into a position of peril or ridicule.

"Yoh best take this yeah feed-bag ter save yoh pants and fezz'etate the
keepin' of yoh ekilibroom," said the courteous darkey, as he handed the
lawyer one of the bags that formed his own cushion.

"Wilks, with a feed-bag under you, riding on a rail is just heavenly."

"If it was a rai-ul, you'd know it mighty soon, boss, fer rai-uls is
angulish and shahp and hahd on the pants, but a po-ul is rounded and
smoove. How are yoh comin' along?"

"In great shape, Mr. ----"

"Maguffin, sah, is my applenashun. Tobias Mortimah Magrudah Maguffin.
The low down folks around, they teenames me Tobe and Toby, that's the
shanty men and mill hans. But when I goes whar they's a meetin' of the
bruddren, it's Mistah Maguffin, ebery time."

The pole cart, as Coristine called it, was going down hill, now, and the
oxen began to run.

"Hole on tight, Mistah, them cattle's too lazy to stop runnin' befoh
they gits to the determination ob this dercliverty," called the driver;
and the lawyer held on in spite of frantic cries from his companion.
"Come off, Coristine, come off, and do not make an object of yourself
before the whole town." Coristine held on till the bottom of the hill
was reached. Then he shook hands with his coloured brother, returned him
the feed bag, and waited for Wilkinson. In friendly converse they
entered the town of Collingwood, and put up at a clean and comfortable,
almost fashionable, hotel. There, for the night, they may be left in
safety, with this remark, that Coristine fulfille