CH. VI. osprey's nest. 89 



adventurous companion striking out for the shore, 

 with his cap in his teeth. In the nest he found 

 a half-grown young bird and an unhatched egg, 

 both of which he brought safely to land. He re- 

 mained on the spot to try to shoot one of the old 

 birds, while I fished for an hour down a stream 

 that ran from the loch towards the inn. I think 

 it was the most rugged and rocky that I ever 

 threw a fly on, but though it was difficult to 

 imagine where trout could lie in it, I managed to 

 half fill my basket with very nice-looking fish. 



After resting ourselves for an hour or so, we 

 again left the inn to look for another osprey's nest 

 in the contrary direction. We could get but very 

 vague information as to the exact point of the com- 

 pass we had to make for ; one person telling us 

 that the lake was only a mile and a bit off ; another 

 that it was two miles and a bit, and so on. However, 

 it was only about half-past five, and, with the long 

 summer's evening before us, we cared little where 

 the lake was, as long as we could find it at all. 

 There were a few scattered houses along the banks 

 of the sea-loch at the end of which Ehiconnich is 

 situated, and we made sundry inquiries at these 

 respecting the lake, but got such very different 

 answers from each person, that we were almost 

 giving it up in despair ; I should not say that we 



