DEER STALKING. 227 



the vain hope that his rheumatism may be cured, and 

 that he will once more revisit the remoter loughs, where 

 otters are abundant, and where many of his happier 

 days were " lang syne " spent. Poor fellow ! his 

 hunting is ended, and his trap, like a warrior's sword, 

 must be laid aside, for age has come heavily upon its 

 master. Old John, " the last and trustiest of the four," 

 has assumed his culinary apron, and from the strength 

 and array of his " maUriel " it is clear that he calculates 

 little upon the red deer venison we shall bring home. 



A smart walk of some three miles over an undulating 

 surface, of gentle but regular ascent, brought us to the 

 deep and circular lake which lies at the base of Carrig-a- 

 binniogh ; it seems the boundary between the hill- 

 country and the moorlands. Here we halted, and held 

 with the peasants a council of war on the course of 

 operations to be pursued. 



The situation of this mountain lough is extremely 

 picturesque ; on three sides it is embosomed in the 

 hills, which rise boldly from the water's edge, and for 

 many hundred feet appear to be almost perpendicular. 

 Its depth is considerable, and hence bright as the day is, 

 the waters have a dark and sombre look. It abounds with 

 trout of moderate size and excellent flavour. They 

 were rising fast at the natural fly, and appeared generally 

 to be herring-sized. 



While resting here, preparatory to attempting to ascend 

 the heights, Cooney, the guide, related a very apposite 

 adventure. 



Late in the autumn of the preceding year the peasant 

 had visited the lake with his fishing-rod. The trout 

 took well, and Cooney had nearly filled his basket, 

 when he was startled by the report of a gun at no great 



