230 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



for us, he gave most attention to his horse which 

 needed more of it than Kitty had done. 



We found the boatmen busy covering with 

 coarse sacking those portions of their boat which 

 had, on the previous day, been so generous to our 

 hands and clothes with that black, sticky stuff which 

 some time during a hot day is nearly sure to make 

 good its effort to produce a smudge upon the face, 

 more probably near the eye or on the nose. I 

 rather like the smell of tar, and am fortunate in 

 that as I want to make the Norfolk suit I am 

 wearing last the trip ; and at present it smells very 

 strong. 



The air on the beach was not inviting, but, when 

 out beyond the sand-bar and we were lifted high on 

 the smooth rolling waves to glide down to troughs 

 that filled at our coming and raised us again, we 

 got whiffs of pure salty breezes. The waves sped 

 us on our way and soon we were paying out our 

 lines some two miles up the rocky coast. I noticed 

 that our boatmen had left their fishing gear at 

 home and, judging by the difference in their 

 manner, while yesterday they had wished to be 

 benevolently neutral, until such time as their lines 

 were needed, to-day they pinned their faith to ours. 

 Waiting silence was changed to talk of rocky 

 homes in useful clepths that excited hopes of fish 

 and yet seemed free from the Irish readiness to 

 favour your fondest wishes. 



The waves broke upon the cliffs with a pleasant 

 clash and then fell back seething with the impact, 

 giving a varied movement to the lures we were 

 trundling through the sparkling water. What fish 

 could sleep while Nature moved the sea with soft 



