body, with a pair of pincers. In fact, some
of these barbs had worked into him nearly their whole length, so that I
had a difficulty in getting hold of the end of the quills to extract
them; and I have no doubt, as the dog died, that many of them had
completely buried themselves in some vital part, and caused his death.

I took home my prize, and put it into a barrel in a dark corner of the
store, which was half full of nails. A few minutes afterwards, Dr.
Dunlop, as he often did, came in to see me, and drink a glass of cider,
of which I had at that time some of excellent quality in bottle. The
Doctor, as he said, used to "improve" it, making what he called, "a
stone-fence," by inserting a small _soupcon_ of brandy from a pocket-
pistol, which he was too much in the habit of carrying about with him
in hot weather.

"Now," said I, "Doctor, I know you like a bit of fun. When Fielding,
the porter, comes in, ask him to go to that barrel in the corner and
fetch you a nail; for I have got a live porcupine in it that I have
just brought home from the woods."

The Doctor was mightily tickled with the notion; so, as soon as poor
Fielding made his appearance, he sent him off to the barrel. Quite
unsuspiciously the man put in his hand for the nail, and as quickly
drew it out again, with the addition of some half a score quills
sticking to his fingers, to the no small delight of the Doctor, who
greatly enjoyed Fielding's consternation, for the porter thought the
devil himself was in the tub.

Every one who came into the store during the afternoon was served the
same trick by the Doctor, and it was certainly amusing to watch their
countenances and hear their remarks, those who showed the most anger
being of course the most laughed at for their pains.

Shortly after, a Mr. Smith, an accountant, was sent out by the
directors to examine the accounts, and report on the state of the
Company's affairs in the colony. A few days after his arrival, he went
round with the superintendent, and examined the works that had been
completed, and those in progress. Mr. Galt and the accountant both
expressed themselves much pleased with what I had done, especially with
the bridge connecting the clergy-block (now called the township of
Puslinch) with the town of Guelph.

In the afternoon, Mr. Smith called upon me and said he was authorized
by the superintendent to arrange with me as to the amount of salary I
was to receive. He then informed me t