FOWL DOULE. 



than shooting that beautiful, and to me harmless, bird. 

 My belief is, that even where eagles do most harm 

 they more than counterbalance it, for they destroy 

 many times more hares than lambs ; to game they do 

 very little injury, and .without them the Highlands 

 lose half their charm. 



Well, I must say I have been giving rather a queer 

 account of salmon-fishing but you may leave it unread 

 if you like, and begin here. In ten minutes after the 

 fall of the eagle I was standing beside my favourite 

 pool (Gaelice, Fowl Doule), putting up my rod and 

 looking occasionally over my shoulder at the rocks, 

 down which I had almost flown in the descent, and 

 wondering how on earth I had escaped breaking my 

 neck. During one of those looks a great splash close 

 by me brought me completely to my senses, and in 

 five minutes more (about half past seven o'clock) I was 

 straightening my line in the stream above the pool. 

 Step by step I descended cautiously (almost with a 

 feeling of nursing my anxiety), letting the fly nearer 

 and nearer the spot where I expected to see it en- 

 gulphed ; and step by step and very slowly on I went, 

 and the fly had been over the spot once, twice, yes. 

 three times, and nothing. I felt hurt, but on I went ; 

 he must rise lower down ; but at last I had fished to 

 the very tail. I turned round, stuck the rod on end, 

 wiped my brow, and would not believe it so to the 

 top again ; but a second trial brought confirmation and 

 bitter disappointment. By way of relief I fell foul of 

 Jemmy (who had only just arrived) for taking so long 

 a time in getting down the hill. He got the gaff out, 

 Gillespie got his pipe out (mine was out already), and 

 they followed me as I almost plodded along to the next 

 pool, not a favourite one. After two or three prelimi- 



