214 SPORTING IN BOTH HEMISPHERES. 



events a cruel mauling attended me if I remained where I 

 was, and I well knew I had no chance in a race to the 

 village and the cure's sanctum with these sturdy and active 

 little Bretons. If I could gain the opposite side of the river 

 (which was here about a hundred yards broad, and although 

 not very deep, intersected by rocks and rapids), and they 

 dared not follow me, I should cut off at least half a mile of 

 the distance. It w r as the only course to adopt, and accord- 

 ingly, using the lower joints of my rod as a staff to steady 

 my course, I plunged into the stream. I had gained one 

 of the rocky islets, covered with bruises and scratches, and 

 half drowned, by the time my pursuers had arrived at the 

 bank of the river, and had the satisfaction of seeing that 

 they hesitated to follow me, but began to pelt me with 

 stones. I soon continued my perilous passage through the 

 stream, and at length scrambled, nearly exhausted, up the 

 opposite bank. I lost no time in making my way to the 

 village, and relating my adventure to my friend the cure, 

 who lamented the circumstance very much, and told me 

 he was convinced that the party did not belong to his 

 village, but were on a lande-cuttmg expedition from some 

 other place ; still he advised me not to return to Knocky- 

 nolly, for some time at least, as the man I had wounded, or 

 his friends, would never be satisfied until they were revenged 

 in some way upon me. 



Thus my sport in this best and ^rnost lovely part of the 

 Quimper river came to a very abrupt and unpleasant termi- 

 nation, as I was too well aware of the truth of my friend 

 the cure's remarks to risk my life in that neighbourhood 

 again, even with the all-powerful temptation of salmon^ 

 fishing before me. 



I was determined to witness the celebrated mode of catching 

 a certain little fish which had formed an almost daily and 

 delicious addition to my breakfast-table in its fresh state, 



