DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 243 



first mouthful caused a tear and had to be held between 

 his teeth and breathed on before he dared swallow it. 

 We saw as little of this as we could : Harry acted as 

 if he had a tug at his line and I was busy watching 

 Harry's movements. 



The boatman's thirst and hunger prompted the 

 production of a basket which we found well filled 

 with tasty sundries, a loaf of bread, some cheese and 

 butter, and, while we were satisfying our hunger, 

 the boat held on her way to another of our boatman's 

 favourite spots, of which he spoke in terms that quite 

 excited us. 



Illaunacrough is one of a group of rocks well out 

 to sea, some of which are submerged at high water, 

 while others of them are much above the highest 

 Spring tides and provide haunts for numerous seals. 

 We approached close to several huge beasts that 

 were sunning themselves on slabs that sloped to the 

 level of the sea, from which they flopped and dived in 

 the most leisurely manner. Some of them were very 

 curious as to our doings, and popped up so near us as 

 to be able to see the fish upon the gaff, and probably 

 they saw them from underneath upon our lines, but 

 they did not steal nor spoil our sport, so we were 

 pleased to watch them watching us. Harry had some 

 excitement from their proximity, as he really thought 

 when something seized his bait and rushed round the 

 comer of a rock to where the eye could not follow the 

 line's course that our experience at Keem Bay was to 

 be repeated. It was no seal, however, but an ugly 

 black jack pollack, weighing eighteen pounds, and yet 

 not nearly as hea\'y as it was ugly. 



Reader, have you fished for pollack round rocks 

 like these, miles from the mainland, where little fish 

 are kept at bay by larger ones that greedily take what 

 is offered? Had you a tell-tale rod that rejoiced in 

 its work and was your Hne as fine as you dared to have 

 it? Was your companion one of those most wished 



