122 AN ANGLER'S RAMBLES 



It was close upon eight o'clock in the evening (we had dipped 

 by the way in the Kinglass water, and belaboured without much 

 success the most inviting pools of the Etive river), when we 

 arrived at what we had reliantly looked upon, in our chart of 

 direction, as night-quarters. Daluess was, at that time, the only 

 habitation having higher pretensions than a shepherd's or fisher- 

 man's hut, which stood betwixt the head of Loch Etive and 

 King's House, a distance of nearly sixteen miles. Furnished 

 with a missive from Mr. Macdonald, the proprietor, we never once 

 dreamt of being refused admittance ; nay, had we even been 

 independent of this passport, our trust in the proverbial hospi- 

 tality of the Highlanders would have rendered us quite at ease. 

 Our surprise, therefore, was not a little, when, on producing our 

 credentials, and civilly requesting accommodation for the night, 

 the old dame who undid the latch coolly told us she had ' nae 

 up-puttin' for the like o' us, and wasna gaun to fash hersel wi' twa 

 chiels stravaigin' aboot wi' gads in their ban's. There were ower 

 mony o' thae clamjamfrey whar she cam fra.' In vain we pro- 

 tested, and attempted to explain the Laird's wishes. They were 

 an enigma to her ; so also appeared the fact of our being worn 

 out, and requiring refreshments. She had ' naethin' to gi'e us 

 but a soop o' milk and a bit bannie,' which she accordingly 

 brought ; and while we were discussing them, led us to conclude 

 that the ' King's House was but a stap or twa up the waiter ; and 

 if the beddin' in 't wasna sae braw, maybe we 'd fin' the folk 

 ceevil.' We ascertained, on after inquiry, that it so happened 

 a change of tenantry had just taken place at Dalness, and 

 that the repulse we met with was at the hands of a domestic 

 a Lowlander, let me add, unacquainted with the locality to 

 whose charge the house and any furniture it contained had been 

 newly committed. 



Having been astir on our pins since morning, barring an occa- 

 sional ten minutes' halt on the hill-side, our sensations, on being 



