DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 225 



generality of his countrymen he seldom spoke, but 

 his smile and the contraction of a shoulder that 

 bent his head a little to one side told me much. It 

 was with a smile, a half-closed eye and a nod in 

 the direction of the spot whence the fish had come, 

 that he told us there were plenty left but we were 

 not going to let the rogues know we were after 

 them. 



We got a fish, and sometimes two, each time 

 we passed what appeared to me to be a shoulder 

 of the hidden rock as there the water shot out from 

 its course leaving in its place foaming eddies, under- 

 neath which no doubt little fish came for shelter 

 and, while hunting these, the pollack saw our lures. 



We got our next success, five good fish, at a 

 rocky promontory where the water kissed the point 

 with a soft lapping sound and then hurried off, 

 carrying with it other water that eddied out to meet 

 it. When round this point our course was held 

 towards a rock whose head was black with, to 

 many, Nature's most repulsive handiwork, ghoul- 

 like cormorants. Some stood with legs apart and 

 wings outspread to catch the breeze, while others 

 monotonously moved their heads from side to side, 

 thus causing their weird green eyes to glitter in the 

 sun. It must be supposed that these creatures 

 serve some good purpose but I could wish the 

 gluttons might be banished until that purpose is 

 discovered. They allowed us to come quite close 

 before they tumbled off leaving the rock none the 

 prettier for their visits. I little thought we were 

 to have a turn round this, but so it happened, and 

 we got three fish ; so pollack, of the size we caught, 

 do not mind this Satanic-looking bird. 



