196 THE PEASANT'S ADVENTURE. 



have sworn eternal friendship over a three-legged table, and 

 are settled t&e-a-t&e at either side of the cabin window, with 

 all the requisites for fabricating flies displayed before them. 

 Antony is greasing his otter-trap beside the fire. He still 

 indulges the vain hope, that his rheumatism may be cured, 

 and that he will once more revisit the remoter loughs, where 

 otters are abundant, and where many of his happier days were 

 "lang syne" spent. Poor fellow! his hunting is ended, and 

 his trap, like a warrior's sword, must be laid aside, for age has 

 come heavily upon its master. Old John, " the last and trus- 

 tiest of the four," has assumed his culinary apron, and from 

 the strength and array of his " matfriel" it is clear, that he 

 calculates little upon the red- deer venison we shall bring 

 home. 



A smart walk of some three miles over an undulating 

 surface, of gentle but regular ascent, brought us to the 

 deep and circular lake which lies at the base of Carrig-a- 

 binniogh ; it seems the boundary between the hill-country 

 and the moorlands. Here we halted, and held with the 

 peasants a council of war, on the course of operations to be 

 pursued. 



The situation of this mountain lough is extremely pictu- 

 resque ; on three sides it is embosomed in the hills, which rise 

 boldly from the water's edge, and for many hundred feet appear 

 to be almost perpendicular. Its depth is considerable, and 

 hence, bright as the day is, the waters have a dark and som- 

 bre look. It abounds with trout of moderate size and excel- 

 lent flavour. They were rising fast at the natural fly, and 

 appeared generally to be herring- sized. 



While resting here, preparatory to attempting to ascend 

 the heights, Cooney, the guide, related a very apposite adven- 

 ture. 



Late in the autumn of the preceding year, the peasant 

 aad visited the lake with his fishing-rod. The trouts took 

 well, and Cooney had nearly filled his basket, when he was 

 startled by the report of a gun, at no great distance up the 

 }iill. While he looked in the direction from whence the shot 

 appeared to have been discharged, a fine full-grown stag 

 crossed the brow above him, tottered downwards for some 

 twenty steps, and then falling into a steep and stony ravine, 

 rolled lifelessly over, until he reached the very spot where the 



