232 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



has come,' and I brought down a right and left in 

 spite of my having to take them while resting against 

 my kneeling leg, while the other, with its foot some- 

 where down below, propped me up. The boy's interest 

 in the proceedings, that had died out when I allowed 

 the hares to pass, took fresh life; the dog looked 

 happy, and I fear the shooter was unduly puffed out 

 \nth pride. To shoot hares going up or grouse going 

 forward would not elate me, but try your hand at 

 birds that rise only inches above the heather and then 

 drop down a mountain-side, and, if you succeed in 

 killing clean, what you will feel is what I felt. Pride 

 often lends itself to failure, and my pride gave me away 

 at my next attempt. I waited just a moment to 

 increase the distance, and the birds dropped under 

 me to where I could not bring my gun. The dog 

 seemed conscious as to why I had failed to fire, as 

 after that he used all his cunning to get below the 

 birds and cause them to make a rise that enabled me 

 to take them as one does pigeons coming from a trap. 



Birds were anything but plentiful ; they could 

 scarcely be expected in great numbers where cover 

 and food were scanty, but the good dog made the 

 very best of all his chances, and I was pleased with my 

 day for grouse well up on a Connemara mountain. 



The relation of my Leenane experiences had carried 

 us on to near bedtime, and as we proposed making an 

 early fishing start, we were not long in saying 'Good- 

 night' and 'Good-bye' to our friend in need. Captain 

 Shimm.er, whom we had cause to bless many times 

 thereafter. 



We secured the services of Michael Welsh, who, 

 with the help of a mate, sailed his boat to perfection 

 in a stiffish breeze over the few and far between 

 dark patches of the mostly sandy-bottomed Ardbear 

 Bay, but, as had been predicted, the fish were far 

 too small to test our lines, so the excitement of our 

 previous doings was lacking. 



