SANDY TRUMMEL'S MISHAP 257 



boat a sudden whirl round with the stroke of an oar, 

 which laid Tom Purdie flat upon his back at the 

 bottom of the boat, and canted Sandy Trummel 

 fairly overboard ? He fell in rather a picturesque 

 attitude, for which I cannot in candour give him 

 much credit, as the affair seemed to be quite involun- 

 tary and too sudden for him to study effect. His 

 right hand held the torch aloft for a moment, 

 Marmion fashion, which soon fell and hissed in the 

 current with a train of smoke which trailed along the 

 surface of the water. Sandy's feet were actively 

 employed in kicking his best, by which means he 

 agitated the water in such a manner that, with the 

 assistance of the light, it made a very brilliant and 

 imposing appearance. The stream here being very 

 shallow, he soon began to emerge, and about two 

 thirds of his fair proportions rose up from the 

 channel ; his mouth seemed full of water and abuse ; 

 he soon got rid of the one ; but before he could vent 

 the other, he was anticipated by the boat's crew, 

 who all shouted out shame upon him for his awkward- 

 ness, and for having nearly upset the boat in his fall, 

 and endangered the lives of several worthy indi- 

 viduals. Thus a sort of balance was struck between 

 faults on both sides, and Tom Purdie himself 

 assisted him to regain the boat ; " and Sandy mon," 

 said he, as he lifted him in/' I shall be always will- 

 ing to do ye the same good service when ye need it ; 

 so yee'l let me ken when the burning pick gets aboard 

 ye again." 



They now passed over some bare streams where 

 no salmon would lie ; the navigation amongst the 



