44 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA. 



"Welcome, gentlemen; I was waiting for you. 

 Marvin gave me notice you were coming, and if your 

 appetites are as good as my cook's fare, I shall be 

 delighted. The champagne is in ice, and I've some 

 capital Medoc. Shall dinner be served at once ?" 



" By all means.^^ 



" That's right. Come, boys, push about, and serve 

 up hot. Take as much care of these gentlemen as 

 you can." 



Whilst Mr. Gibson, the landlord and proprietor 

 of the Lake Hotel, was welcoming us in his some- 

 what Irish fashion, Mayne K-eid and I got down 

 from the trap, and confided the horse and vehicle to 

 the care of a black stable-help. Gibson led the way 

 into an elegant dining-room, with drawing-room 

 adjacent, and the windows opening upon a verandah, 

 beneath which we could hear the Avashing of the 

 lake itself. As the osprey was not to be fed, we 

 gave orders to the servants not to open the lid of his 

 hamper, and by no means to ofi'er him the smallest 

 scrap of victuals ; for it is absolutely essential to the 

 success of this kind of fishing that the bird of prey 

 should be fasting, and sufficiently hungry to attack 

 the fish in the water. 



I pass over the details of the dinner which had 

 been prepared for us by the c//e/of the worthy host. 

 It was exquisite, and was composed of excellent 

 fish, superior meat, capital vegetables, and delicious 

 fruit. The champagne was as cool as snow, and the 



