DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 197 



a zigzag fashion, to graduate the great drop to 

 Loch Duich which with its mountainous surround- 

 ings, its fir plantations and white houses dotted 

 here and there on its shores, makes quite an Alpine 

 picture. 



The hostess of the Shiel Hotel, a sister of the 

 host of Glenelg, was expecting us, and after kindly 

 welcome hurried us in to dinner. 



The company assembled was composed of men 

 much younger than myself who rose to shift their 

 places to make room for us, while he who occupied 

 the seat of honour, to my great surprise, came 

 towards me and held out his hand with : "I am 

 glad to meet you, Mr Geen ; we would certainly 

 have waited dinner for you had Miss Mackintosh 

 but known the time of your arrival. Now, please, 

 take my seat. I'll tell you why and all about it 

 presently." 



Protestations were of no avail ; I was almost 

 pushed into the vacant headship while being 

 assured that several of those sitting round the 

 board would be furthering their studies by doing 

 a little carving. "They are mickle fit for aught 

 else." The laughter that followed this showed the 

 speaker to be a privileged person but roars greeted 

 the retort from somewhere at the table-end : "It's 

 your way to Harley Street you're carving, doctor, 

 as a michty Helminthologist." 



I found myself presiding over nine young Scots- 

 men whose names and occupations I was to gather 

 from their spokesman who, now seated on my right, 

 told me he was well acquainted with my friend 

 Dr Fergusson, of Richmond, and that possibly 

 I might have heard him speak of a Dr Rorie, of 



