172 ANGLING Gf ART IN SCOTLAND 



In the light of the following day the fierce- 

 looking elderly gentleman and his wife turned out 

 to be highly amiable people, both of them entering 

 thoroughly into the joke. But I have never ceased 

 congratulating myself that, by a fortunate interposition 

 of Providence, they remembered to bolt their door 

 upon retiring to rest that night. I need say no 

 more, but — the lady occupied Johnny's quondam 

 bed, and in the dark an onslaught would have had 

 the most disastrous results ; for it was impossible 

 for any one, seeing the fiendish light that radiated 

 that evening from the Duke's eye, to doubt that he 

 had meant serious business. The visitor at the 

 Dunalastair could certainly never complain of mono- 

 tony either by day or by night. 



The Duke and I were domiciled at the end of 

 a passage, where a steep narrow staircase, disused 

 and uncarpeted, led down to an outside door which 

 was usually kept locked. We generally slept quietly 

 enough, for our two fellow-anglers were not much 

 given to retaliation ; but on one occasion we were 

 ruthlessly aroused from our slumbers in an alarm- 

 ing manner. 



It was two o'clock in the morning (for I 



