234 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



lies glistering under a burning sun : I see the landlord at 

 Inveroran curiously peeping round the corner, anxious to 

 discover whether we had returned empty - handed. My 

 appetite also warns me that it is past nine ; so, having 

 appeased it by a subsoil of " halesome parritch," and a 

 top-dressing of fresh eggs, "Now, landlord, out with the 

 ' shan-dra-dam.' " l 



My jolting drive to Cladich in my " chariot " was not over 

 till towards two o'clock, but the keen air of the mountains 

 had completely effaced the recollection of my solid breakfast. 

 I therefore ordered a mutton-chop, and went to the shore to 

 examine my craft. I had already bespoken the services of 

 old Sandy M'Kenzie, " wha kens whaur the big fish lie as weel 

 as ony man on Loch Ow side." Sandy being appointed 

 skipper, begged to be allowed to choose his own crew, which 

 consisted of a stout, good-natured " callant " of about sixteen, 

 yclept " Johnny," occasionally " Jock," when Sandy was in 

 a patronising mood. Sandy was once a strong bony man, and 

 piqued himself upon being one of the best wrestlers in the 

 country. Now his eye is dim and filmy, much the colour of 

 a boiled onion, and his athletic arm is paralytic and weak as 

 a child's. I might have had far abler men at the oar, and 

 as knowing about the haunts of the fish ; but whenever I troll 

 Loch Awe, none but that poor, ragged, woe-begone old man 

 shall command my boat so long as he is able to do it. 



Having satisfied myself that the cobles were not more 

 leaky than they generally are, I returned to the inn. 

 Monzie's keeper had been there to see my eagle, so I asked 

 his leave to shoot a couple of ring-dotterels which were tip- 

 peting on a green bank close to the boats. This he at once 

 civilly agreed to. All was now ready for the evening fishing. 



1 The name given by a rural minister of the Kirk, who sported one of these 

 vehicles, to a little spring-cart with a seat across for the " dames." The " minis- 

 ter's man " could never be persuaded to attempt this learned word, and would 

 persist, in spite of him, to call it his " chariot," as the nearest Scripture authority 

 he could master. 



