on of a canal-boy, appeared to be well equipped with knowledge.

"I guess that'll do, Jim," he said after a while. "You've got ahead of
me, though I didn't expect it. A boy with such a head as you've got
ought not to be on the tow-path."

"What ought I to be doing, cousin?"

"You ought to keep school. You're better qualified than I am to-day, and
yet I taught for three winters in Indiana."

James was pleased with this tribute to his acquirements, especially from
a former schoolmaster.

"I never thought of that," he said. "I'm too young to keep school. I'm
only fifteen."

"That is rather young. You know enough; but I aint sure that you could
tackle some of the big boys that would be coming to school. You know
enough, but you need more muscle. I'll tell you what I advise. Stay with
me this summer--it won't do you any hurt, and you'll be earning
something--then go to school a term or two, and by that time you'll be
qualified to teach a district school."

"I'll think of what you say, cousin," said James, thoughtfully. "I
don't know but your advice is good."

It is not always easy to say what circumstances have most influence in
shaping the destiny of a boy, but it seems probable that the
conversation which has just been detailed, and the discovery that he was
quite equal in knowledge to a man who had been a schoolmaster, may have
put new ideas into the boy's head, destined to bear fruit later.

For the present, however, his duties as a canal-boy must be attended to,
and they were soon to be resumed.

About ten o'clock that night, when James was on duty, the boat
approached the town of Akron, where there were twenty-one locks to be
successively passed through.

The night was dark, and, though the bowman of the _Evening Star_ did not
see it, another boat had reached the same lock from the opposite
direction. Now in such cases the old rule, "first come, first served,"
properly prevailed.

The bowman had directed the gates to be thrown open, in order that the
boat might enter the lock, when a voice was heard through the darkness,
"Hold on, there! Our boat is just round the bend, ready to enter."

"We have as much right as you," said the bowman.

As he spoke he commenced turning the gate.

My young reader will understand from the description already given that
it will not do to have both lower and upper gates open at the same time.
Of course, one or the other boat must wait.

Both bowmen were determined to be