There was a touch of suspicion, not to say alarm, in 

 the look of amazement with which the purist received 

 the shrieks of laughter which simultaneously burst 

 from the other two. 



" Pardon me," at length spluttered Brown, " but it 

 is so dashed funny." Then Grey exploded again, and 

 the purist looked from one to the other. 



" Well, well, come along," Brown said at last. There 

 was not a word spoken during the drive. The echoes 

 were awakened once, on the brow of the last hill, by 

 the kodakeer, who, without any apparent cause, ex- 

 ploded with laughter and held his sides. " Pardon me," 

 he remarked, " but it really is Oh, lord, hold me ! " 

 (Explosion renewed.) 



Before alighting at the porch of the hotel, Brown 

 called a halt as the other two rose to step down from 

 the wagonette. " Let me take a last shot, please ! 

 Do you mind holding the fish up for a moment ? " 

 asked he. Snap ! and the thing was done. 



" Thanks awfully," said the operator. " That's my 

 thirteenth shot. Oh, lord, but it is so funny." And 

 the welkin rang with what seemed to be the mirth of a 

 lunatic. Then Brown wiped the moisture from his 

 eyes and recovered his breath. 



" Shall we wet your salmon inside ? " asked Grey, 

 very quietly, and with a seriousness not obviously 

 germane to a festive occasion. 



" Certainly, why not ? " answered its captor, much 

 puzzled. 



The three men, the door being shut by Grey, after 

 the maid had left the room, drank to each other. 

 " You'll take that fly out before you send the salmon 

 away," said Grey suavely. 



" Why should I ? " curtly answered the culprit, by 

 this time white-faced enough. 



