The record-union., 1895-06-08

moment to take breath, playing one rec
tune after another tall marvelously alike
until the train came tardily to its termi-
nus 1T Strome Ferry. There he put his
bagpipes regretfully into the long thin
box again, expressed the great pleasure
which the society of the Colonel and the
Professor had given him during the
journey, and his sincere regret that he
was unable any longer to enjoy 1t. Then
he wrung each of them by the hand with
/ a warmth that left them under the i'm.
preston of having suffered the medieval
form OF torture known as the embrace OF
the rat catcher's daughter, and vanished
him the long thin box and an invitation
incautiously given him by the hospitable
Colonel before the production Of the
! bagpipes) TO visit them at the shooting
lodge if his travels led him in that direc-
ton.
| Now this was a man whom they were
not likely to forget, and though Mr.. tlee
accepted his account OF the lythe fishing
at Loeb Torrdon with q soupcon of the
classic grain of salt with which he would
fain have seasoned the Highland music,
still he felt that, like all myths, this
should have somewhere a substratum OF
fact about it were it only by way OF allie
cory.
Wherefore Mr.. Fleg was in the fire.
quent habit of saying, would il not be
possible. my dear sir, for US one day to
snatch favorable hour and sail across
to Loeb Torridon, there to tempt our for
tune with some of those monsters of the
deep of which our ighland friend spoke
to us?"
To which Colonel Burscough would
always answer, "Why. jam it all, Fleg,
easiest thing In the world, of course
nothing easier. Choose your own time.
Order the boat whenever you like. But
all stipulate 10 that don't 60 with you
-see?'
This was the sort of permission of which
Mr.. Fleg was the last man in the world
to be able to take advantage. To order
out yacht belonging to another man and
to give the order to . skipper who was
another's servant were lncOncelvable I'M
pertinences to Mr.. Fleg. But at length
he persuaded Robert to take the enter
prise in hand. and once Robert had I'M
dertaken it its accomplishment was near
at hand.
So they started with fair breeze down
the loch, and all went well till they were
round the north of Skye and OH North
Roma, where the wind died away and it
fell dead calm. They tapped about
idly awhile, and put out some lines over
the yachts side in twenty fathoms or
water, and had never a bite for an hour.
Of opinion. my dear sir. that fish Is even
now biting at my bait"
"Oh, then, pull up, pull up. please, Mr.
Professor" MoBain said in great excite
ment.
The Professor began hauling in the
line, and the business went we'll I'LL he
had himself anchored in cat's-cradle OF
some six fathoms of the line in inextrica-
bic confusion. He was like the adver-
4; Of oohod W, nilIa-tno lion in
the net. Then McBain said, LET me, let
me, MIR. Professor!" and taking the line
from him began hauling it in, while Mr..
Fleg was too entangled to make protest,
and solaced himself by taking up the gait
instead.
"a large flush, large fush," McBain
said approximately. as he drew In foot
after foot of the tugging line. while MI.
F'leg stood in eager readiness with the
gail.
At last the thing came Tapping on the
top OF the water. 1t was a large cod,
nearly twenty pounds in weight.
1.-The GAIT! the gait" Mr.. McBain said
softly.
Mr.. Fleg leaned over the side, but the
GAIT had caught for moment In some.
thing on board. He gave it tug and
loosed it, and at the same instant an extra
strain seemed to come upon the line
the cod gave one extra whisk OF his tall
the double gut brOke-and away went
Mr.. Cod down into the depths again,
with the end Of broken gut waving like
moustache from the corner OF his
mouth.
"Oh, dear! oh, dear! what misfortune.
my dear sir! The gait, my dear sir-it
was caught in something"
"Eh, eh?" said McBain gently. ut
was caught in my Leg"
Your what? Leg! Ny dear sir! Leg!
Your? My dear Mr.. McBain, are you in
sober earnest?"
"Eh, eh9 1t is no matter"
mo matter! My dear sir, tugged
at itv'
"Eh? Yis-tugged-yis," McBain said.
quite pleased TO recognize the word.
Then Mr.. Fleg covered himself with
profuse apologies and bound up McBain's
leg to the latter's unspeakable confusion,
in his own pocket-handkerchief; and
then, the calm continuing, and there
seeming no prospect of getting more fish,
Mr.. Fleg disentangled himself from the
line and went down to the saloon to write
an article on the insensibility of the
Celtic race to pain, expressing views
which would show the crofter question
In an entirely new light.
Meanwhile MoBain had softly ap-
preached Robert. II know, sir. There
iss a sandbank near yonder. 1t is a-splen-
did bank for spootfush."
whats spoutfishP'
"Eh! eh! With shells. They dig down
in sand-splendid nice to eat"
fWell, how can we get 'em?"
''The dinghy" said McBain.
So they started in the dinghy and rowed
off to the sandbank, and :here they dug
in the soft sand until they overlook the
quickly burrowing long-shelled bivalves
and came back with q whole shoal of
them in the boat. McBain had not over
estimated the Sandbank.
Then they showed them to Mr.. Fleg.
"And how do you eat them, my dear sir
in their native condition, or fried, or
boiled?"
"Jist boiled" McBain said, sin wat
ter" he added, that there should be no
mistake.
"Quite SO, my dear sir-in water" Mr..
Fleg repeated, and went below again to
the ansesthesia OF the CeIt.
McBain took to the boiling of the
''spootfush" himself-again that there
should be no mistake; and the time drew
on till O'Clock in the evening. when
McBain took the ''spootfush" from the
fire and declared them ready for eating.
"rhey look, indeed, most excellent,
my dear sir" Mr.. Fleg said, as they APP
peared upon plate.
Then they began TO try to eat them.
They got them into their mouths and
champed upon them, but without maxi
ing the least effect. Their teeth went in.
but the ''spootfush" just fiattened itself
out like India rubber, and tough az
leather, and squeaked like India rub
ber) as it regaIned its shape when their
wearied jaws parted Off it.
Excellent. doubtless, my dear sir"
said MIR. Fleg to Robert; could one but
reduce them to such a condition as would
= L. IL. 4 =
"a trife, as We say, tough"
II was seldom that Mr.. Fleg's charity
allowed him to pass SO severe a criticism.
The ''spootfnsh" must have appeared to
him very, very inedible.