BOAT FISHING 91 



shoes ; and a disused chapel and burial-ground on 

 one of the islands contained a stone which no one 

 could carry away safely. Several had tried it, but 

 always some misfortune had happened to them to 

 prevent their success. The last rash accepter of the 

 challenge had fallen down and broken his leg ! I 

 particularly remember this legend because an Oxford 

 undergraduate a year or two after was dared into 

 undertaking the quest : and, although no physical 

 misfortune happened to him, was very properly fined 

 by the magistrates and compelled to take back the 

 desecrated stone. 



The best day we ever had there was one of some 

 risk. A regular gale was blowing, and none of the 

 boats started in the morning at the usual hour. The 

 wiser old stagers never made a start at all, but we 

 were young and rash, and pressed our boatmen to 

 brave the elements, being all the more eager from the 

 certainty that we should have the best places all to 

 ourselves. Miekie and his colleague shook their 

 heads, and protested that it was not safe ; but at last 

 we bribed or cajoled them into consenting to launch 

 forth and drift down the sheltered side of the loch- 

 the wind was blowing from the hotel end on 

 condition that we took a spare pair of oars with us 

 and agreed to lend a hand on the return journey. 



