284 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



tasted so good as that, and now, after an experience 

 with potatoes just as long, I had to confess that I had 

 never eaten them with such relish nor so longed for 

 more. The pollack too had failed to appease my 

 appetite as fish food usually does and, stranger still, 

 Harry was actually made more hungry by what he 

 had eaten ; at least, so he said and looked. I con- 

 solingly said : " It is wise so to eat as to leave some 

 youthlike hunger, rather than to lose all appetite by 

 eating to repletion." 



This set Pat thinking, but he soon came to a 

 conclusion and said : " It's meself that loses me 

 appetite when I'm full, but I'll be putting on more 

 praties and, by the powers, another fish." 



The stars shone brightly and showed the course 

 through anchored boats as we neared the landing- 

 place, and the form of our host stood boldly out as 

 he waited our coming on the quay. 



We were late to bed that night and somewhat 

 late for breakfast next morning, but Pat had been 

 up early and had made sundry journeys with baskets 

 of fish before we saw him. The news of his big 

 take had thus spread and there were customers 

 waiting for his remaining bargains when we 

 appeared. But day by day the call for pollack was 

 lessened by our catches so much that Pat, when 

 the fourth day's catch was sold, said : " It's a change 

 the divils are calling for unless I'm to rale give thim 

 away with salt thrown in for the curing av thim. 

 Now wouldn't yer honours like to have a thrate wid 

 our big conger? It's rale say-sarpints they be." 



" No, Pat, we cannot stay. We have arranged to 

 be at Carna to-morrow so you must be here to sail 

 us across the bay to where the Carna road comes to 



