LEAVES FROM A GAME BOOK. 169 



it must be stated the aforesaid service was to be a 

 Gaelic one. But thrice only have I attempted to 

 worship in that language, when the pronimciation and 

 intonation of the unknown tongue so reminded me on 

 each occasion of my friend, that famous Tweed fisher- 

 man, the late Thomas Tod Stoddart, and his Gaelic 

 sermon, that I never could resist the spirit of laughter 

 the reminiscence called up, for Mr. Stoddart, though 

 acquainted with but a few words of the language, had 

 a knack of so imitating a Gaelic " discoorse " which was 

 so realistic and withal so comical that it never failed 

 to convulse his hearers with laughter. 



To return, however, to our minister, who, having 

 heard the story of the thirteen-pointer, drove off to his 

 duties with a promise of venison if he would call at 

 the Lodge on his way home, for our host had told us 

 to offer him some if any of us met him. He continued 

 his way, while I went mine, when, arriving at the end 

 of the loch, I followed on down the banks of the 

 stream running out of it, which some ten miles away 

 lost itself in the larger waters of a noted salmon river, 



