DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 223 



I told him where we had been and of our day's 

 doings. 



'Rough diamond, Darby Green, but of the right 

 water. You were lucky to get feere to-night, Mr 

 Geen.' 



'And dehghted, I assure you, Mr Shimmer.' 



'You could not have seen my name on a box, Mr 

 Geen, as I did yours. Perhaps Macdonnell has told 

 you my business, too.' 



*He has, and I am hoping to get information from 

 you that will prevent our being stranded on another 

 Inishbofin.' 



After dinner we adjourned to the landlord's sanc- 

 tum, where we had a most enjoyable chat. 'The 

 Chairman of our Board and the Chief Secretary for 

 Ireland were at Clare Island a few days since; did 

 you see them?' said Mr Shimmer. 



'Yes, we did,' I said, 'and were much amused by 

 their doings. They first inspected Grace O'Malley's 

 castle, but their stay inside was for a moment only, 

 and then all their followers went in and came out as 

 quickly. I was not surprised, for my son and I had 

 come out from there in great haste. The chief interest 

 seemed centred on, I should say "in," the empty 

 fish casks on the quay. The right honourable gentle- 

 man looked into quite a number, and, wherever his 

 nose went, your chairman's followed, and, after his, 

 all the other noses. Quite an imposing procession 

 started, with determined strides, to climb the hill 

 to get a general view of the Board's work, but the 

 determination of the start lessened rather quickly, 

 and soon ended in a halt and turn that brought it down 

 again. An inspection was then made of the boats on 

 shore. The Government's representative had a most 

 ready method of testing these : he struck them with 

 his stick and then listened for the answer. So impressed 

 was the tail of the procession with this that other 

 sticks were used and other ears listened. The sticks. 



