140 THE UPPER RAPIDS. 



have seen it when I was a boy," said Paddy 

 Mooshlan ; " there was no need of a bridge, 

 then, over the river. Your honours might 

 have walked across on the heads of the 

 salmon, without ever wetting your feet." 



" Paddy does not hold much by your 

 theory of the fish lying at the bottom," said 

 the Squire. 



" They most likely rose on purpose for 

 him to step upon," said the Parson ; "he 

 really is a sort of fresh-water Arion. How 

 did you manage it, Paddy ? was it the Irish 

 harp or the bagpipes that you played to 

 them?'' 



" Divil a bit of lie is there," said Paddy, 

 sinking the particular question in a general 

 answer. 



" You really did it yourself, then — did 

 you, Paddy?" 



"Faith, then, and I did, your honour." 



" Times are pretty much changed now, I 

 am afraid," said the Parson. " It was not 

 very lately that this happened?" 



" Och, then ! would you have fish in the 

 river, and that blackguard, Hector, thieving 

 them every day ? " 



This last remark evinced considerable 



