244 THE OLD MAN FOUND. 



" It is Venneys cry," said our leader. " God grant that 

 her master be still alive !" 



"We pushed forward rapidly for several hundred yards in 

 the direction the noise was heard from ; and the whining of a 

 dog, broken now and then by a long and piercing howl, con- 

 tinued to guide us. We reached the place, and on turning a 

 rock which elbowed into the river abruptly, found the old 

 man extended on the ground, cold and motionless. The trap 

 was bound across his back, and a large otter lay at some 

 yards distance from the place where he had fallen. 



We raised him up, while the faithful terrier frisked about 

 us, and testified sincere delight at the promised recovery of 

 her master. The old man's eyes feebly opened when the 

 torch-light flashed upon his face. This symptom of exist- 

 ing life encouraged us, and, as his extremities were cold and 

 powerless, his master and I rubbed them briskly between 

 our hands, while Hennessey poured some brandy down his 

 throat. 



"We want instant help," said my cousin ; "jump upon the 

 bank, and see if anybody is near us." 



His foster-brother rushed up the brow, and whistled loudly, 

 but the signal was unheard or unheeded. Again he exerted 

 himself, but ineffectually, to make the flanking parties hear 

 him : .there was no reply. 



" This may be heard," he muttered, and, drawing a pistol 

 from his breast, the loud report was answered by a distant 

 halloo. Next moment lights appeared, and our shouts and 

 whistles directed the torch-bearers to the place. 



We disencumbered the dying man of the iron trap, and our 

 attempts to restore suspended animation appeared to be par- 

 tially successful. But the Priest, who led the party coming 

 to our relief, gave us still better hopes, by ascertaining that 

 the old man's pulse was beating. 



From the assistance we received, the unfortunate otter- 

 killer was transported quickly to the cabin. A bed was 

 already heated, and John had abundance of warm water to 

 bathe his chilled limbs. Our unabated efforts were crowned 

 with ultimate success ; for before midnight, he had recovered 

 his speech, and was enabled, though with some difficulty, to 

 give us the particulars of his unlucky excursion. 



He reached, it appeared, the loughs soon after daylight, 

 and discovered the numerous footmarks which the fishing- 

 party had already observed. One trace he particularly fol- 



