DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 197 



and to speak of it in conjunction with salmon nets, 

 but, to interrupt inquiries, we received indications that 

 we were amongst pollack again. It was along tms 

 fruitful stretch that we finished our ail too short day, 

 and, when the reckoning came, we found we had 

 quite a grand take of fish, over 200 pounds in weight 

 and thirty-one in number. 



Where our driver had been meanwhile, or how 

 employed, I did not ask, but we found him just where 

 we had left him, waiting to help drag in the boat, 

 and, as soon as he caught a sight of the fish, he ex- 

 claimed, 'Shure and didn't I tell yer honours we 

 should get the fish? And it's ivery one av thim we'll 

 be taking back for ividence against the same spalpeens 

 that doubted me.' He looked at us eager for assent. 

 I had some compimction about taking all the fish, 

 but got over it by promising the men that all we might 

 catch on the morrow should be left with them. 



Pat's tongue on the homeward journey was given 

 nearly equally to all three of us, my son, myself, and 

 Kitty. If there was any difference the greatest portion 

 was given to the mare which probably understood it 

 best. He seemed quite anxious that Kitty should 

 acknowledge that with her, too, he had kept his 

 promise. 



The dinner-bell had rung when we arrived, and 

 we were able to shp upstairs without waste of time 

 to square ourselves. Short as was the interval of our 

 absence, we found on descending that the fish had all 

 been laid in hne on the lobby floor, and there stood the 

 landlord seeing that each of them received a touch 

 of a wet cloth that they might look their best. 



We were the last to go in to dinner and the last 

 to come out, and, on coming to the lobby, feund the 

 company gathered round our host, who, while pointing 

 to the most notable of the fish, was telhng thwn, 

 'There is no place in Ireland hke Keem Bay and 

 Moyteoge Head for pollack, unless it is our bay here/ 



