19 



SOME IRISH ADYENTURES AND EXPERIENCES. 



What a terrible time we have had of it in Ireland since 

 the foregoing- chapter was wi'itten. Gales of wind and 

 deluges of ruin have followed each other with only short 

 intervals of a few hours between, and the rivers have been, 

 tiu'ned into raging torrents. For seven successive daya 

 angling had — up to Saturday — been quite out of the ques- 

 tion, when a neighbour of mine beguiled me into accom- 

 panying him to a mountain-fed river from which the flood 

 runs oif in a few hours , and the fishing is good in the clear- 

 ing water. After a week's enforced idleness the prospect 

 of sport was pleasant, as was the fifteen-mile drive, in the 

 keen morning air, on my friend's shooting car. We found 

 the river had been over its banks, but the water had now 

 fallen to a reasonable level — although still too hi^h — and 

 no time was lost in getting a shelter for the horse and seek- 

 ing the services of some attendant gossoon to carry our gaff 

 and lunch. But no such gossoon could we find, and we 

 discussed the situation seriously. My friend's car driver 

 was a veritable Handy Andy — rejoicing in the name of 

 Larry — and the idea of taking him with us and sending 

 him back for the car when the day's work was done appeared 

 to me to be the most sensible course to adopt, and I said so. 

 "Ah!" replied my friend, "that would be all very well if 

 we had anyone else ; but you don't know Larry or you 

 wouldn't suggest it. No ; we must carry our packs and 

 let him pick us up at the footbridge eight miles lower down 

 in the cA-ening." This was so arranged, and many and 

 explicit were the details given to Larry to start at half- 

 past four and follow the road straight down till he came 

 to a bridge, and there await our coming. Away we went, 

 with light hearts, and, with true Irish courtesy, my friend 

 insisted upon my taking the lead — he would rather go home 



