802 THE RIVER. 



be rousing out his master, and it will be all 

 up with us." 



" I'll not be waking a mouse, I'll engage," 

 said Pat. 



The jealousy which subsisted between 

 the party at Belleek and that at Bally- 

 shannon was something inconceivable. It 

 began, of course, among their respective at- 

 tendants — partisanship is as necessary to 

 Irish life as the air they breathe ; — but this 

 disease is very catching, and it soon began 

 to be participated in by their masters, and 

 that to an extent which they would have 

 been ashamed to acknowledge to themselves. 

 Whenever they met on the river the flies were 

 carefully concealed, lest the enemy should 

 see the favourite colour of the day — perhaps 

 something of a perfectly different kind would 

 be stuck into the hat-band in full view, as if 

 through carelessness, in the hopes of mis- 

 leading an unwary fisherman ; every one 

 avoided mentioning the throws that he had 

 fished, for perchance his adversary might 

 lose his time in fishing them after him ; 

 while the fish caught by each were paraded 

 into the town with a sort of triumph, and 

 registered with eager anxiety at the fish- 



