A Sportsman at Large 209 



begging her to keep me posted by wire until I could cross the 

 North Sea. 



Then came two days of excruciating suspense. Hoping 

 for the best and dreading the worst, I tried to divert my 

 mind by fishing in a desultory fashion : but there was no heart 

 no smallest thrill of excitement in my endeavour. The 

 third day another telegram arrived. I I held my breath, 

 and my heart beat heavily as I opened it. 



God be praised ! This is how it ran : 



" Lionel out of danger doing well. Stay where you are. 

 Make mind easy. Will report. NONNA." 



You may well imagine my relief and fervent thank- 

 fulness. 



I set to work with renewed energy and enthusiasm. 



One day I had twenty fish a mixed take of seven 

 salmon (one twenty-one pounds, the others averaging fourteen 

 pounds), six grilse, five sea-trout and a couple of two-pound 

 " brownies/' 



But sport was not always up to this standard. In fact, 

 by about the middle of July the snows in the water-shed were 

 exhausted, and the Surendal began to run low, so that, apart 

 from Solem pol, there were very few pools fishable with any 

 hope of success. 



I kept picking up salmon, grilse and sea- trout here and 

 there sporadically ; nevertheless, by the end of the month, 

 when my tenancy came to an end, my tally of fish of all 

 denominations was only just short of a hundred nothing 

 marvellous, but a real good time for one rod, under such 

 thoroughly sporting circumstances and glorious surroundings. 



One word more about " Billy." 



Shortly after his dastardly murder of the perky Lars and 

 (Me, and the summary punishment which then overtook 

 him, he was accompanying me in a stroll on the felds, when 

 he suddenly wilted and rushed into a thicket of wild rasp- 

 berries. 



I could not imagine what was to do with the little rascal, 

 until, hearing a raucous croak, I looked up and beheld a 



M 



