232 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



his prize safely in and its weight of fifteen pounds 

 gave back lost faith to the fisher and the boatmen 

 who probably had been wishing they had brought 

 their lines. For some time after this our success was 

 uniform with fish of moderate size but, as it neared 

 the time for lunch, we had some excitement with 

 two that crossed each other, entangled our lines 

 and thus got free. 



We landed for lunch on a small sandy beach 

 where salmon fishers often haul the nets that were 

 now hanging from the rocks while being repaired. 

 I learned from our men that the huge rents that 

 were being mended were caused by seals which did 

 not hesitate to take a salmon from out the net, 

 when quite near the shore, and that there were one 

 or two grey-headed rascals that would watch the 

 whole proceedings and then at the last moment 

 snatch a fish. 



O'Malley and Lavelle, who had merely lifted a 

 hand in answer to similar greetings from the nets- 

 men on landing, wandered off, when the smoke 

 commenced that followed the lunch, towards their 

 countrymen for a chat, and Harry and I, being 

 curious to see the destruction that seals could work 

 with nets, slowly followed. The group that formed 

 when our men approached the others was a remark- 

 able sample of hardy, rugged manhood, with not a 

 pound of flesh to spare ; bone and muscle, furrowed 

 faces, clear, sparkling eyes and huge, brown hands 

 hemmed Brian in. Could you have seen, as I had 

 hoped, a photo of this group Harry's effort proved 

 a blur with the sea at the side and the huge nets 

 hanging from the rocks to form a background, you 

 would have searched each face and stalwart form 



