266 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



Thus inspired I walked boldly up to Annie with 

 the fish and smiled against her frown for a moment, 

 and then held out my hand. The frown slowly 

 vanished and I was soon telling her, among other 

 things, how we cook jack in England. I remember, 

 to this day, how loud the visitors were in praise 

 of the fish which Annie cooked as she would have 

 done a joint of veal. 



It appeared, for a time, that our guns and 

 cartridges would prove superfluous luggage, for the 

 landlord, unmindful of his promise to give us shoot- 

 ing, had let his grouse moor to a party of lawyers 

 and barristers from Dublin who, on account of the 

 wet and stormy weather that had suited the fishing 

 well, had obtained indifferent sport, and, to make 

 their prospect of getting the head of game at first 

 expected still less bright, two of their party had 

 been called home for a time. The host's informa- 

 tion regarding the shooting had put me out more 

 than the temporary loss of my bed. 



A gun helps me on the longest tramp and, if my 

 early training did anything for me, I ought to be 

 able to so deport myself with it as to give no fear 

 to the most nervous comrade. My good dad took 

 never-tiring pains to teach me this before he showed 

 me how to take a coming or a going bird, a rising 

 or a falling one. 



I was thinking unkindly of the landlord, no doubt 

 with a clouded face, when the shooters were start- 

 ing on that morning. Now, whether my looks 

 betrayed my thoughts, I cannot say, but one of the 

 party came to me and said : "I understand you 

 brought a gun with you expecting some shooting. 

 Will you come with us to-day? " His was just the 



