172 ARDENMOHR. 



the hill, then diverged to the peat road, and kept 

 by the path as we did not wish to disturb the 

 fresh grouse beats ; but Fred easily got five brace 

 as we walked to the loch. 



As expected, Fred was charmed, and said he had 

 sometimes dreamt of such a spot; but, like a boy, 

 he was looking less at scenery than for Punch, 

 and presently descried that sedate quadruped on 

 the sky-line; and we went to the head of the 

 loch, and waited for the tackle. 



Having unpacked the pony, and put up the rods, 

 we proceeded to test the Loch-na-Seachin ; but it 

 soon became apparent that she was a " shy-loch," 

 as, after an hour's patient fishing, we had only one 

 trout, although that was a beauty in shape and 

 colour, and about two pounds weight. It seemed 

 useless to go on fishing in the meantime, so we 

 went to the rushy end of the loch to look for 

 wild-fowl, and with Fred's light gun I got three 

 teal and some snipe. 



All the morning the weather had been capricious, 

 alternate sunshine and cold blustering showers, 

 which the herd-boy called "scuds ; " but towards 

 afternoon the sky became very black in the north. 

 We returned to the head of the loch, and had 



