A DAY AT LOUGH MELV1N. 53 



the Scholar, two attendants, four rods, and a 

 mysterious package which Paddy Mooshlan* 

 had carefully covered up in the well — he 

 rattled off at a rate which, as the Squire 

 afterwards declared, made his neck not worth 

 ten minutes' purchase during the whole 

 journey. 



Whether it was real or imaginary, the 

 danger was over in little more than an hour, 

 when, the second car having come up, the 

 whole party were again assembled on the 

 shores of Lough Melvin, fitting their rods 

 and arranging their tackle ; the cars, with 

 their drivers, having gone on to the little 

 village of Garrison, at the head of the lake, 

 for the double purpose of getting stabling 

 for the horses and boats for the fishermen. 



" I thought Paddy Mooshlan was after 

 some mischief," said the Captain, as the 

 Squire, unfolding the mysterious package, 

 exhibited that execration of all true sports- 

 men, an otter — or, as the attendants inva- 

 riably pronounced the word, an " author." 



An otter is a thin piece of board, about 

 four feet long and a foot or so broad, cut 



* This name is properly written Musgrave, but is 

 invariably pronounced Mooshlan. 



