166 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



One year, when I arrived from the south, every 

 one was out fishing, grouse-shooting, or deer-stalking ; 

 but a message was left for me, saying, if I cared 

 about it, I might take " old John " and go out on 



Ben S . I didn't .f eel up to much that morning, 



having been travelling all night with a convivial 

 sportsman, whom I picked up at Perth. Still I got 

 ready with alacrity, and so did John. (A more 

 perfect specimen of the " travelling companion " than 

 that was, it has never been my good fortune to meet. 

 He had with him a plentiful supply of the cup which 

 cheers but doth not inebriate I allude -to the 

 "Perrier Jouet Sec" and the way that journey 

 slipped by was quite wonderful. Blair Atholl, 

 Kingussie, and Aviemore were left behind in rapid 

 succession. We sailed past the Boat of Garten, and 

 found ourselves on the platform at Inverness before 

 we knew where we were. Then the parting came. 

 Both were "visibly affected." "You'll look me up, 

 old chap," I said, as I wrung his hand, " when you 

 come my way ? " " You may rely upon my doing so," 

 he said with a gentle hiccup ; and " he went on his 

 way, and I saw him no more : " but never having told 

 him, as it occurred to me afterwards, where "my 

 \vay " was, he has not yet made his appearance. 

 Should these lines meet his eye, let him know he 

 is still remembered with affection though "lost to 

 sight," he is indeed "to memory dear.") The way 

 you and I, indulgent reader, hop from parenthesis to 



