SALMON ANGLING IN IRELAND. 121 



the witch. Biddy O'Brien," continued the persevering calculator, 

 scoring her off on the first finger of his left hand "Biddy O'Brien!" 

 the groaning of the wheel cut short further investigation, and the 

 spell was broken by our landing, about half an hour afterwards, a 

 beautiful fish of 181b. But fortune had not yet done with us, for 

 within the next forty minutes another salmon of 16lb. lay cooling in 

 the shallow edge of the stream ; whilst a third, larger than either, 

 was giving me full occupation in a series of runs, so desperate that 

 nothing but a first-class wheel could have stood the work. In the 

 midst of one of these, a light hand was laid on my shoulder and a 

 well-remembered voice said 



" Well done, Walter ! This is like the good old times. Polish 

 your man off ; I can wait." 



Short gi'eeting was given to the Colonel then ; but, when Willie 

 had gaffed the fish (he was nearly 211b.), I found leisure to say, how 

 happy it made me to see my old friend once more. 



" Ay,", he said, " I heard you were here, and came to rob you of 

 an arch or two. Privilege of seniority, you know, Walter one of 

 the few good things one gets in exchange for time." 



Wiping my forehead, I murmured something about having done 

 enough for one morning Heaven forgive the deceit ! I could have 

 worked for the next forty-eight hours without food or rest, and, 

 reeling up, stood by the Colonel's side, watching the wonderful skill 

 with which he fished the water. Playing his fly with unceasing 

 activity now close to the masonry, now in the current, then with a 

 graceful curve into the eddy, and so back into the stream again ^he 

 ran on in a full flow of pleasant chat. 



" What a place this is to me ! ^it is full of memories ; here old 

 times, lost friends, meny plots, and innocent counterplots, all come 

 back as fresh as May. What fun I have had ! You don't remember 



old Tom ? Many years before you became one of us, Captain 



' outdid his former great outdoings,' killing upwards of a hundred 

 heavy fish in the short space of six weeks. Various attempts were 

 made from time to time to despoil him of the property here, but 

 without success. Four, half-past three, three, and even half-past 



