SALMON ANOLINQ IN mBLAND. 2fi5 



About a couple of hundred yards below the house is a bridge, with 

 one high arch, over which runs a road straight across the moorland. 

 Dipping over the shoulder of a hill, it drops rather abruptly into a 

 narrow, boggy valley, through which flows the Gweedore river ; and 

 this, like the lakes, is free. The lower half mile is deep and still, 

 but from thence to the Fox's Leap the little stream presents a series 

 of charming pools. Let there be but half an air from the north- 

 north-west, and I know no more pleasant angling than is to be 

 found on that narrow, deep, and dark "lower half" mentioned 

 above. 



The journey of the previous day had been severe. During the 

 earlier part of it, master and man padded up the hills for the mere 

 pleasure of the thing, and down, entirely out of consideration for 

 the quadruped ; and, as about five-eighths of the road consisted of 

 alternate ascent and descent, it is evident that we walked much and 

 drove little. As night fell the poor horse grew more and more 

 weary, and then we were obliged to use our legs. To add to my 

 troubles, some months previously a new member had been adopted 

 into the family. Jack, an infant at the time, had since become 

 a great cat, and in our various wanderings always insisted on 

 perching on somebody's shoulder. Unfortunately, that spoiled 

 animal usually elected me as bearer in ordinary, and during the 

 present journey rode at least twenty miles on my back from 

 which he would occasionally spring and race over the bog till 

 regularly planted. He was worse than the " old man of the 

 mountain," for that individual did sit quiet, whilst my cat o' 

 mountain was never still for a moment. Once I tried to lose him 

 in a hamlet through which we passed, and wept crocodile tears 

 with Madame on her bereavement, but an hour afterwards was 

 nearly frightened out of my wits by being unexpectedly clasped 

 round the neck from behind. Jack had a good master, and knew 

 it. My back aches even now at the remembrance of the anguish 

 I endured from the claws of that harpy. 



Completely done, I went to bed supperless, and awoke, nearly as 

 tired as when I lay down, to see the glorious mountain peaks all 



