AN ANGLER'S PARADISE 95 



stop again ; — a still more painful process, for each 

 vehicle in turn bangs up against the stationary 

 bulk of the engine with the most nerve-shaking 

 vigour. It was a sheer impossibility to keep 

 count of the number of times that one dropped 

 off to sleep on that journey. 



But the morning train from Perth was quite an 

 express, and, if I remember rightly, only took four 

 hours to accomplish the distance, arriving at Inver- 

 ness about eleven o'clock. That gave one ample 

 time to look around the cleanly little Highland 

 town, and to pay a visit to the fishing-tackle shop ; 

 for the steamer up Loch Ness did not leave until 

 three in the afternoon. 



This afternoon boat, which went no farther 

 than Fort Augustus, was also of the most leisurely ; 

 you could, however, get a decent tea on board, 

 with fish and cold meat. A peaceful calm pervaded 

 the whole establishment. It was impossible to 

 instil any great amount of energy into any of the 

 employees ; the utmost excitement on the part of 

 a passenger brought no answering light of en- 

 thusiasm to the eye of the deck-hand. 



It was on this boat that a portly, well-to-do, 

 though irascible Highlander, bound for the Temple 



