AND HOW I HAVE CAUGHT MY FISH 61 



of the exhausted pipe said " finis," I was as I ought 

 to have been when first we started, and then there 

 would have been no mishap. 



I was ready at Dundawoona Point, where 

 Paddy's " Divil you'll hould thim here if they're in 

 their usual timper," was either meant for encourage- 

 ment to begin or a sly knock. Billy, noticing a 

 look of inquiry on my face, felt called upon to 

 support his mate by offering his opinion, " It'll be 

 a great bargain entirely between the divils and the 

 gear." 



Now Kirk is roused again, and there comes 

 from between shut teeth, " The divil's on, Billy, 

 and the baker has him." There was a great 

 tussle, in stern earnest at first, but, when the fish 

 was mastered, there was some feigning, just to 

 balance matters. Up to now I had no fish, and 

 yet there were at least a dozen flopping in the boat. 

 Paddy would not adopt the suggestion of turning 

 back to try the point again. " It's the living mer- 

 woman that ye'll be getting hould of. It's thrue 

 for yer she's been seen sitting combing her long 

 black hair, and it's meself that's heard her sing on 

 many a wild night." 



There is no living creature so likely to take you 

 in as an Irishman. He is brimming over with 

 blarney ; but his wildest stories when they are 

 flavoured, be it ever so mildly, with superstition are 

 gospel truth to him. For him there are merwomen, 

 and they have favourite stones on which they do 



