154 THE UPPER RAPIDS. 



weight that oppressed them. " Ah, bedad, 

 now that was well done. Ah, have ye got 

 them entirely? Well now, I thought they 

 would have skimmed away from under." 



"What on earth is all this about?" said 

 the bewildered Scholar. 



" Why, you threw the egg-shells over- 

 board, did not you? Not one of these fel- 

 lows would have slept a quiet sleep for a 

 month, for thinking of the ill-luck that was 

 coming upon them through the water fairies, 

 who had made boats of their egg-shells." 



" What absurd nonsense !" said the Scho- 

 lar. " So you spoiled the race for an egg- 

 shell!" 



" You spoiled the race," said the Parson. 

 " You would not have got a man to pull 

 another stroke, under any circumstances. 

 We lost nothing by turning back." 



"Hillo!" shouted the Squire, who, seeing 

 that something was wrong, without being 

 able to make out distinctly what, had also 

 winded his boat, and was now coming up 

 the river with the full force of his oars. 

 " What's the matter ? Who is overboard ?" 



" Why the Parson ought to be," said the 

 Scholar : "he has been kicking up all this 



