ing,
and at being out of the way of the fish in the canoe, for another.
Coristine followed suit, and, when his plank was in position, said he
felt something like old Woodruff in a small way.

"How is that?" asked the inquisitive dominie.

"He's a director in ever so many institutions, and is always out,
sitting on boards. I have only one so far; as Shakespeare says, it's a
poor one, but mine own."

"Tut, tut," replied his disgusted friend; "more desecration."

Nevertheless he smiled, as a thought came into his mind, and he remarked
that the vessel was rather a small concern to have two boards of
direction; to which the lawyer answered that it was no worse off in that
respect than the Province of Quebec, or the Church, or the universities,
which could not trust one governing body to do their work.

"I have another, a large fish," shouted the schoolmaster, wildly excited
and rising to his feet. The fish pulled hard up stream till the whole
extent of line and rod combined was out at arm's length. Eager to secure
the prey, and thinking nothing of the precarious foundation on which he
stood, he placed a foot upon the gunwale in order to reach still farther
out.

"Look out, Wilks!" cried Coristine, as he also rose and grasped an
overhanging branch of the birch; but it was too late. The dug-out
tipped, the boards slid into the water, and with them went the dominie,
rod, fish, and all. When the canoe recovered its equilibrium, Wilkinson,
minus his wide awake, which was floating down the stream, was seen
apparently climbing the deep-sea mooring post, like a bear on a pole,
his clothes dripping where they were out of the water, his hair
plastered over his eyes, and his face flushed with anger. The lawyer
could not restrain his mirth, although he knew the vengeance it would
excite in the dominie's breast.

"O Wilks, Wilks, my poor drowned rat of a friend, ha! ha! ha! O Moses!
but it's too comical you are; the nuns couldn't help it, Wilks, no, nor
the undertaker's drum-major, nor a hired butler, even. Howld on, just
one second more, till I'm fit to steady this divil of a dug-out for you
to get in. If I only had a kodak, Wilks, you would be immortal, and the
expenses of our trip would be paid. Oh, garrahow, ha! ha!"

The dominie climbed on to the bow of the dug-out, while Coristine
balanced it, and made his silent way to the shore end, from which he
gained the bank. There he shook himself like a Newfoundland dog, and
brush