136 WHAT I HAVE SEEN WHILE FISHING 



during its perambulations on the adjacent road, 

 which gave proof that at Carrick the safe-guarders 

 of the fish had the upper hand. I spoke on this 

 subject to Mr. Walker and he delivered himself 

 confidently of the opinion that since the gang had 

 been dispersed, which seven years before used to 

 net a particular round hole at the Falls, no poaching 

 had been done. I had seen the Falls and, thinking 

 that the hole referred to was a most extraordinary 

 spot for netting to take place, I inquired as to 

 the sort of net that could possibly be made for 

 the purpose. He described to me a very ingenious 

 article which had been captured from the aforesaid 

 gang. 



On the very next day it was my turn to fish 

 the stretch of water which includes these Falls, and, 

 as I was returning up-stream from my first effort 

 there, I made a short cut which took me out of 

 the beaten track, and I found myself faced by an 

 iris and bracken-grown ditch which I had to follow 

 to find a place for crossing. Immediately in front 

 of me, on the opposite side of the ditch, was a 

 cabin, with two men at its door obviously watching 

 my movements ; but, as they made no offer of 

 guidance, I proceeded on, without a falter, to find 

 the way over. This I soon came to, but not before 

 I had seen, hidden away in the ditch, the ghost of 

 the net that my landlord had seen destroyed seven 

 years before. 



That night Sir James Musgrave's head-keeper, 



