" Cbrtstopber IKortb" 181 



scanning her face closely, exclaimed, " VVccl, I declare 

 she's come back bonnier than ever ! " 



Of John Wilson's extraordinary keenness in sport, 

 especially his favourite sport, fishing, I may quote the 

 following example given by one of his friends : 



" At a point on the road near to the house which I 

 now occupy, and close by the river-side, as he was 

 on his way to Achlian, a large party of tinkers were 

 pitching their tents. There were men, women, and 

 children a band some preparing to go to fish for 

 their supper in the adjoining pool, and some, more 

 full of action, were leaping. They were tall powerful 

 young men, ready for any frolic, and all the bonhomie 

 of Mr. Wilson's nature was stirred in him. He joined 

 the group ; talked with them and leaped with them. 

 They were rejoicing in their sport, when he, finding 

 himself hard pressed, stripped off coat and shoes ; but 

 the river had had its channel once on the spot ; it 

 had left a sharp stone, which was only concealed by 

 the thin coating of earth over it ; his heel came down 

 on that stone ; it wounded him severely ; and, unable 

 to bear a shoe on, he had to go to Achlian. The 

 tinkers would rather that the accident had happened 

 to one of themselves, and they procured a cart in the 

 neighbourhood in which he was conveyed to Achlian. 

 The heel was carefully dealt with there by all but 

 himself. Mrs. Smith, then a little girl, tells me that 

 her mother remonstrated often, but in vain ; for he 

 would fish, though scarcely able to limp ; and one day, 

 as he was fishing from the shore, a large trout, such 

 as Loch Awe is remarkable for, was hooked by him. 



