FAREWELL FEAST OF ANGLING CLUB. 195 



of some knoll or other of this rude shepherd's cairn 

 or of that heathery ridge yet, 110 sooner recognisant 

 of where we were, than again plunged into the circle 

 of absolute ignorance. 



Lost in a mist ! it was a pretty piece of knight- 

 errantry ! Through what a battalion of shadows had 

 we to tilt our way ! The wind blew in more directions 

 than one, and even the mossy rills seemed to veer 

 about and retrace their courses at our pursuit. Some 

 of them became dead and stagnant, others escaped from 

 our presence, we knew not where. Our converse was 

 now monosyllabic and ejaculatory, but there was still 

 a lightness at our hearts and in our step ! we were 

 amused rather than distressed, for assured felt we, that 

 human habitations were not out of reach, and that 

 it was neither a Siberian desert nor Indian prairie 

 within which we wandered. 



The rain became at length more violent than ever, 

 mingled with hail pellets, large and piercing. 

 What of that ? a soaking was nothing extraordinary 

 for anglers to encounter! We esteemed it no 

 resignation to endure so petty an evil, and courted 

 rather than shunned the boisterous elements. But 

 lo ! we were close by the margin of a sheet of 

 water, and a hurra burst from both our lips, for 

 well knew we Loch Skene the dark, heath -fringed 

 tarn. 



