ISO HIGHLAND SPORT 



position was not realised by him until Murdoch called out, 

 " Now, good-bye, false friend and treacherous guest ; you are 

 paid out in your own coin, so may a day or two in solitude and 

 fasting take some of the misplaced zeal out of you." 



In vain the wretched exciseman begged us to return. Off 

 we pulled, and began to trail for saithe round the island. This 

 we did for fear that any passing fishing boat should rescue our 

 captive, for we knew that as long as our own boat was rowing 

 about near by these fisher-folk would never bother themselves 

 because one of our friends was perambulating up and down on 

 Innis Coinean and frantically waving a handkerchief. The 

 lunch-basket our prisoner had taken ashore with him was but 

 outside show, for the snowy cloth hid nothing more enticing or 

 sustaining than a loaf, together with three botdes of a strongly- 

 aperient mineral water. 



Towards sunset it began to blow, and dark clouds were 

 rolling up from the west as we pulled home in the dusk, while 

 as we drew our arm-chairs to the fire after dinner, a gale was 

 driving the rain in heavy splashes against our windows. 



" Hurrah ! " cried Murdoch ; " that is good hearing ! What 

 a soaking that rascal will get ! We are already more than half 

 quits with him, aren't we ? " 



It rained and blew so hard tliat I could not help pitying the 

 wretched exciseman, although the mere mention of such feelings 

 made Murdoch furious. 



The next morning, after breakfast, slinging our spy-glasses 

 over our shoulders, we started to walk to the end of a pro- 

 montory from which Inriis Coinean was but a couple of miles, 

 and from there we soon made out our victim pacing about, and 

 at times waving a handkerchief. 



" Hurrah ! he's there still," said Murdoch. " He shall have 

 another two days of it, and then, if no one has taken him off, 

 we will send and fetch him." 



To this I replied, " Look here, Murdoch, we don't want 

 to kill the poor devil, and I think he's had quite enough of 



