2i8 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



back were anything but promising for a landing ; but 

 I so much wanted to complete the trip we came to 

 Ireland for, that I determined that if we had to return 

 the order should come from the men, who knew the 

 possibilities, unaided by any hint of mine. We had 

 not long to wait for this. There was a conference in 

 Irish, and the English that resulted was, *We are 

 sorry to disappoint you, jintlemen, but there's no land- 

 ing on the island with this sea.' A moment's thought 

 and I asked, 'Could you get a landing at Inishbofin?' 

 There was another short conference, and then we were 

 told that we could be landed only at the fishing harbour 

 on this side of the island. I asked, 'How far will that 

 be from the hotel ? ' to learn that it was not more than 

 two miles, so decided to go on there. 



We had a rough time of it, but quite a comfortable 

 landing, where idle men — made so by the weather 

 outside — gave willing help. I paid our men quickly, 

 as they were in a hurry to do their passage home, and 

 then turned to seek a means to get our luggage to 

 the hotel. 



The fishers' cabins formed quite an artistic crescent 

 round the sandy bay, and looked so prosperous that 

 I anticipated no difficulty in getting a cart, but it was 

 a panniered donkey that was brought, whose back 

 began to bend before half the load was on it. I pro- 

 tested, but the owner tried to reassure me, saying, 

 'Shure and it's her way to make it aisey to load her.' 



*Is this the only donkey we can have?' was answered 

 with, 'Shure and it's plinty of donkeys we have.' 



'Then, please fetch two,' I said, to which Harry 

 added, 'Yes, two more, please, for we would do this 

 overland journey in state, so that mine host at the 

 other end may be impressed and give us of his best.' 



'Be jabers, if it's three donkeys we are for taking 

 it's the same will be six when he sees them.' 



I looked at Pat as severely as I could for explanation. 



*Shure thin it's not for displasing jintlemen I am 



