264 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



the message rather than with the ladies. My guess 

 was right for he rose up at once and said : " Leave 

 this to me, Geen." But I was not inclined to 

 let him beard the lion in his den alone, so insisted 

 on accompanying him. Apologies we found in 

 numbers but these Emery brushed aside until close 

 quarters were reached as to whom the rooms 

 belonged to and, finally, whose hotel it was. Here 

 I interposed with : " May I ask, Mr Landlord, where 

 you yourself are hoping to sleep to-night ? " and, 

 on his replying: "In my bed," I offered the sug- 

 gestion that the ladies should have his room ; but 

 he would not take it. Then Emery, ever direct 

 and, sometimes, suspicious, said to him: "Tell us 

 which of the ladies desire our rooms and perhaps 

 we shall be able to arrange matters." This was a 

 poser and brought out the truth that they were 

 fifteen miles away, at Westport, waiting a wire to 

 come on. So this pother was ended by our keep- 

 ing our rooms. 



Leenane stands at the head of Killary Bay, near 

 the point where the River Erriff joins it, and is there- 

 fore convenient both for the sea and the river fisher. 

 At the time of our arrival the stream ran in full 

 flood, but on the second day it had subsided to fair 

 volume, and was of that slightly dusky colour that 

 helps so much to successful fishing. The river has 

 a short course and a quick fall and therefore almost 

 daily rain is needed to keep it in trim, but it is, 

 notwithstanding, an ideal salmon river for its size, 

 as there are numerous deep pools to hide them, 

 and miles of gravel shallows for their beds. 



Fortune favoured us with the needed rain during 

 the whole of our first week, and, as fish were 



