THE STORYTELLER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 160, 27 June 1908, Page 4

THE STORYTELLER.

THE POACHING EARL. (By 0. I. Hewson.) My name's John Sullivan—Long John they all me, just to distinguish me from the rest of the local John Sullivans round, spalpeens that don't come up to my shoulder. Wen, I've been a bog-ranger and water-bailiff these fifteen years or more, and what I don't know about poaching and salmon isn't worth knowing—not

ken on the Ooia river, anyway. But the »martwt bit of poaching work ever you see, or heard of, either, was done on this very river forninst, my own •ye*.- j

The Ooola is a short river about seven miles king, draining a couple of mountain lakes into the sea. It wasn't much known, either; not in those days, auvvay, but the divil a finer bit of water for its length, and breadth j'ou ever vet a line on. February and March were the best months, and the fish ran so Ug and were that" strong, fresh from the sea, that 'twould take a small bull to hould wan of them.

Anyway, some years hack, when I was about the age of a man, salmon fishing was easy to get, and was that chape you conld buy the fishing of a boul river for half the price of an oulil cow. Weil, some Englishman, a lorit lie was, I heard after, bought up the boul flaking rights of the OoU, nets and all throws in, and I got the juli as head bailiff, which I -hould to this very day. Well, when Lord Crawford (that was mjr master's name) got possession, he knocked off all the nets, and a grand job it was for the river, lly master iwrer wet a line in the Oola all these jean, bat need to send over his friends to flth it nearly every season, though •ome yean twas never fished at all. Well, after a time, .with what very

little Silling, less poaching, and no netting, the fish were that plintiful they were actually jostling wan another, and, when the water was St, there was no knowing what a good man would kill. Now, through all this time, though i got my month's cheque nate and regular from Lord Crawford, not so much a* wan eye aid 1 ever lay on him, and it I met him I wouldn't know him from Saint Patrick. Twas the 20th oi January, I remember it well—for wasn't it fair day at BaAduane—to in I went with my couple of pigs, and a good price there was far them that self-same day. Well, I had my money in my pocket, and jmt went into Mrs. Malonev's, which is public-house and postroffire all in wan. to get a small drop of the crathur to warm myself and shorten the road home to Kilmore.

" (iood-morra, Mrs. Maloney," says I. " Good-morra," kindly s»ys she. • "Cold neither we're harin, ma'am," ttyi I. " Tis so, thanks be to «od," says sbo, aid with that slie handed me out « letter, which I pat in my pocket and off home with me. I alwayi got a letter from his lord•hfp aboDt this time', jiut before the opening of the Ashing on the Oola, which tn on the lat of February, telling me whether *ny ginUemen were coming to flak, and to get the lodge up at Kilniore ready for them. When I got, home I told my ould wonan I had hi« lordship's letter, which I opened, bat hardly wan word could the l<Ho ot us make out, the writing WW that qua re. So we had to send out for one of the neighbours more lamed th*« onnelvea to read it. Twas from Ua lordship rare enough, saying that

this year he would come to fish the rhrer himself for the first time, but be wouldn't come till the Ist ot March, so

*B to give time for plinty of salmon to

Ton up. Some days after—the day before the lifer opened, it was—l was down watching .tw* river, and, coming up to tbe bridge which crosses it on the Bathdnane Road, X stood watching the pool below me to see if a salmon would throw himself. The whole river wafe a sight

with fish from top 1 " to bottom, and 1 Wag long sorry his lordship would not be there for the opening day. Soon I heard a car coming from the direction of the town, and shortly after ft came Into view, and the farmer pulled

up hi* horse on the bridge. There were two gfintlemen on the car and I heard tin jarvey say to wan of thim: "Therms the very man your lordship was a*lng me about—long John Sullivan, the water-bailiff." The gintleman looked round. "Here, ray man" says be, " I'm Wd Crawford, and I've changed ray mind, and here I am in time to fish the opening day on the Oola.' 1 *Weleome, my lord," says l t "welcome to Kilmore.*

"Thank you, my nun," say* he. Away they drove up to the lodge, ■gd I harried after tbem as quick as I eoold, when the thought struck me that all the gintlemen who had ever 49HW to flah tokl me Lord Crawford was

S middle-aged nan, ntout. and not too talL But Lord Crawford as I saw him in the car was no more than thirty years of age, anyway, well up to six feci Ugh, and «o straight you'd think he'd awallowcd a ramrod every morning for hi* breakfast When I came up to the lodge 1 unlocked the door and welcomed them in. "What more could I do before the jarvey? Well, when his lordship had paid off the car, and I had brought all thim bags. goat, and rod-cases into the liou.se, I

"Beg pardon, my lord, if I may make M bould on your honour as to ax yon for some certificate or ividence that you «r« lord Crawford, my master, and no other man. I've never seen your honour before," says I, "and I want to nuke ■are of you before you wet a line on the Oola Biver." • . With that his lordship and his friend roared laughing. .... . , . " Wfldman," «aid hi« lordship, did -yon ever before or since hear the like, the man actually wants me to prove I am myself! Well, my man," savs he, " I'm dad to see you doing your duty, aajs he, and with that he pulls out a fcnndle of letters from his pocket. "Read these," says he. Some of them were addressed to the Barl of Crawford, Springfort Hall. Chester, and more of tliem to lord Crawford, Springfort Hall. Chester. That was his address, sure enough; well I knew it. Then he pnl!« out his card | ease, on which wa, engravc.l tile Karl of Crawford, and his cards printed tlo* same way. He pointed to his h,i»- an I gnn-case*, which had hi.- name painted OH them aIL "Beg pardon, iny lord." says I. "that - enough ividence for me, and I hope your lordship won't blame me. I've heard of men being taken in like that before

now" , , So I mad? them welcome and i-en lor my daughter and my onld woman., and th*y soon lta«l them =.itt down (o a fine meal of hot cream cakes, egg- ■ ■nd tea before the % turf lire. after seeing that all was ready for the nihgt, I wished tliem good evening, and , left theiii with orders to lie ready to' start at eight o'clock nest morning. So home I went and told my oitlu ■woman the hoiil thing. and pot called an onld fool for niv trouble. I w»* up earlv next morning. and a grand day it wa*. There had Wn a light frost the night liefore, and now it had all gone; there was a nice wind idowing straight in from the right against the flow of the river, which i•tli* best wind von can have. The water wan just the right height, too. and I Icnew It would make Miiwecping day for <sh. About seven o'clock T went up to thr lodge, and soon my ould woman had <the fire going and a slashing breakfast of hot cakes. eggs. and bacon ready and f never saw two men cat more in bit life than his lordship and his friend. Captain place for an appetite. my man," *ay his lordship, while I ~v ■' ~ putting their rods together.' "lis so, mv lord."' savs I. "\on liave either the mountain »r ine »ea air to choose from, and not v.-au penny fxtrn need yon pay." 'They seemed in net Imrry t" g-'t the Jiver, and. after breakia-t. <>nt«id<» the door smoking ill""' |""|- 1 admiring the view, an.l a si.t.H »iuii it was. too. Tile great, heather ■ .d ■mountains rising "n cither ->d<river, their lower slopes a.da/e «>' ■< vellow fur/. 1 . The broad -ilv. r "in I <<' the rushing river clown below. smaller and smaller a- the eje f'...0 its winding rnin-e we-tv.ard. t'.i n in the -e.t live mil' - I hait their r p"< (ogeiVr i.y i,.ttime. and faith them «""■ r'" 1 " ' never «aw the like: very light ihev >u-,v. but as strong .k steel: .ill-I' • ■' Wildmai! Md nie hi- :<'d h.i;i a - m. ( cut re all throip-h. anl 1 oeiie.e'. n «-eII. P'lt twas them Hi- •>'* ■'»''k'; Tne ■.pcvhle-s altogether. \"i r<-Tin 1 fliera bv the hundred. and -mic ttieia were that large and ik-rie

looking, with double hortks ami every colour in the rainbow, that they'd put the fear of (Jod in every salmon in the river.

"There i.-n't nan single fly in (he houl lot, your Honour," says f, "that'--any use here; but I have pinny of uty own tyinjr that will do the work." So 1 mounted wan f)f me own Hits on each rasiing line, and away we started for the river.

I've seen every kind of angler, flood and bad, gintle and simple, but. the divil a man ever 1 seen could hould a candle to his lord.sllip and the captain. Jt diil niv heart good to see them covering the pools. They had luck, ton, l>y gorra! What is fishing if you've no luck? ' Every salmon they rose used to roll up with a rush and take their fly as if his very life depended on it; they gave their fish great time, too. and alwavs let him take the fly down before striking him, and the hook went home in a good hould ivery time. They played their fish fierce hard, and you'd think something would bust every minute, and I often had the galf home'and the fish on tile bank betore he knew whether he'd lieen hooked or not. Well, they fished all that day, an.r killed seventeen salmon between them. These were at wanst picked in iisli boxes, which had come down by train, and were sent off to the Knglish market. ! They fished hard all dav, and all niu'Ul they played cards—eeart'y they called J' —and sure doesn't the King bate his own ace in it: and drink, I "never «.«■ two men outside .so nnirh whi*kv in mv life. His lordship got i; all up oil * credit from Katbduanc. |

I Faith, tliey nearly drank the place dry. And not wail penny did they ever pay for it either. And so the days wont on. Wet: or dry they fished, and hardly wan blank day. Kverv evening off went tile fish to the English markets, and a great, price it made. Sure, wasn't it four shillings a pound all through that self-same month of February.

,Whenever the liver was too liijjh or in flood, they went oil the mountain, after coclc. I always had a brace of good dogs, anil <iod help the cock, or snipe either, that got up before (hem, they wouldn't wan bird in a lioul week, and any day we shot 1 could hardly stagger down the mountain in the evening with the load of birds on mv back, and they were all sent to the market, the same as the salmon. After they had been at Kilmore something over three weeks, his lordship ! gave me orders to have a car ready in the morning of the twenty-seventh to take them to the train, as they were going away that day. So, on the' morning of the twenty-seventh, after seeing the two of them to the river, 1 went il' to Rathduane to order the car. I wasn't long in town when the sergeant of police comes up to me. "Long John," says he, '"there's a gintlcman came in last night by train, he's below at McCarthy's Hotel now.

and wants to see you/' * "Who is lie, sergeant?*' says I. "Lord Somelwaly or other," says lie. "but Iwgorra! 1 forget his name.'*' Down we went the two of Us to th:hottfl, and the sergeant sent in word Io j tell his lordship I was below. l)own he , couies in a minute. i "Well, mv man,'' says lie. - [ hope you've got everything ready for me out at Kilmore, according to the orders I sent you in my letter last month?" "lieg pardon, sir.*' says I. "If 1 might make so bould, as to ax \vho you are!"

*• I'm Lord Crawford."' says ho. "Beg pardon, sir," says I, "would von Ik- so kind as to prove your identity, not that I doubt your lordship's word for a moment. Jint thorp an- a lot of lord, coming to luitlidunne- this year, and W'dad 1 jjot mixed up." "Wluit do you mean?'' says lie. "Oil, nothing at all. my lord," says I. S>o Mr. M.i'iirt !iy. tile owner of the hotel, was sent for. " McCarthy" says his lord-dlip, " kindly oblige by telling this man who 1 am." ~ You're Lord Craw ford," -says lie. Then he shows mo his letters anil his curd-case and his bags, all with his name and address 011 them, just the same as mv master's out at Kilmore,

"Beg pardon, my lord," says 1. "that is ividence enough for me, and 1 bid you welcome to Kilniore, Inflt not having ever seen your lordship before. I wanted to make sure. '

"That's all right, my man." says he. Is there any prospect of fish?' 1 *" There's ptintv of salmon, my lord.' says 1, "but. l>egorra! there's two fish out at Kilniore/' savs 1. "that 1 fear will be more than a match for your honour."

His lordship ordered a ear to Im* ready in half-an-hour, and told me I coiiii drive out with him. I thought in my own mind that whichever lord was tin' rijjht lord. IV! lose my job. >o says 1 to myself—l'll bring the two of thim fanto face, and then they can >ipiare their difference thini.selve>. Anyhow. I a.\?d the sergeant to drive out to Kilmore after his lordship's car. as I toiild Him that I was a feared hi' ai'.d a couple of men might Im» wanted. Out eoniP" his lordship after this, and Wf were soon driving away in tin* direction <»f Kilmore. his lordship asking m»* que-tmns all the way about the river , and the shooting. I told him but not wan word of the two ginth-imMi he was to meet when he got to the lodge. The sergeant and his car of police caught u* up before we had gone two mile-? of the road, and kept behind us

| right to the lodge gate. where the\ pulled up while we drove up to tlu_* door. Down my lord jump* off the car. and I opened the halt door for him. When he saw the table laid for two. the guns mi l baps and things. he says: "Here, my man, what's the meaning of thisT ~ Meaning of what, my lord* says J. w Somebody is living here in my house," says he. Then he goes into tin; fish house, whore some fi-di were lying. "Who's been killing my salmonT he roared. "That's what I want to know.' -Mv lord." -says 1. " Waft f»nl Crawford and his friend I've had here this month ti-hing and shooting. and now I've another Lord Crawford come to fish, and, when I bring tin* two of ve face to face, 'tis for ye to settle between ye who is the real lord and who for 'tis more than I can do. The word-* weren't out of my month when in walk* the fir-l lord and the captain, carrying a couple of (i-di. withj , the sergeant at the h»els ot them. 1 [ "Who is ibN fellow, l.'mg •lolin'; , *• That's what 1 want to Jind km! myself. my lord." >:ty> 1. "and yo\uv til.'] man that 1 expect to do tin* tiifl:." -I'll have you know. >ir." said the ,-cioml bird, "that 1 am the Karl of Crawford. <»f Springfort Hall. Chester. niM that this is m\ house and my land, and that th'.-c are my salmon vnu are raiTving. and wliat ■» more, sir, I 11 givo vou in charge fur poaching my river

and tiiiir me. ■ *• l« tli.it all?" says tin" iir-t lord, tuk- I in** honM of hi in l>y tlie n«*ck and shaking him ti 11 I thought hi* teeth won Id j drop out - "I'll t";"«cli you. sir. to take I away inv character/* And with 1 ' ih> threw hitn. nearlv black in tha face, i across the room. *' ( oli)'*, "intlenien,*' -ays the -er-cail!. •• no violence, it' yon phi/e.*' "Take this impostor in charge, sernt.** says the first lord. *' Don't touch inc.*' say- tlie M-mnd lord. " ( can prove. have proved, iny i identity here, and (hi- man.'' poinlitii.' to the iir-t lord, "is a ulackiriiard and ;i poacher. and HI "''it lie tod- hi- | desert-." •■Say one word wore." -.ays the fir-t lord. '*a»d yonr own mother won I know Well, the .errant perplexed, and, hi "orra! no winder, and a\"d me what to "Kaiili." -ays I. " lir-t nniii' liv-'

jiiiil tin' !ir-t Wm"-T lm- I'l'i'" ui" l \ !:!-■ I]|C ||'l-T thr«'<- xvri'k- '>!' lllnl'i'. llll'i 1 il 111' til.' "Kill IM luc ln.inl I.v tlii-."' i Ami t" t.'ll tl"' trullt. wh.'ilu'r !»• »n- • n;* lint. I li ni il'' -m;i 11 i!ikin;:i f.ir him. ii<- iv.i- -in li a l-i mmil (i-h.'i-niiit< ; i,,,| Orii. Si. 1 |.nt- iii my vnh' ;ii,. fir-l I.ami wish linn Hi • -■.,.ii,l 1..r-l v..;- n;:nvli...l I'M' l.v tin-| ; n .r;ll 11. 1 i H !»' ■ aii.tin-t li tut - j At'l.-r t Ti..■ v.. a!l ••i-i.l ni •" lN'li- i i n,i ii". 11l i: til" 11"« - li:iil irol I".' 11 i"l ill"! n.iiiinv. :'iii! tli-' tmvn m:i--•mil,l ' liir.llv iiiiivi' v. i' li tin' i-r.iv.-,1. I:.,- ,i we g.,t I'l'tln- -1.11 ion. f«r i.,v I'li'.i mill Hi" fail i« 'i'l-V -;lii|. I'Mt '.Vnlllll ll" J.Jt.U ill .1 , f ,l,y, .'nr til.'" I t'i'.l. VVi.ll. "1.,,.1 -,..1 |!;"iu." -:it- I. TI.LV wri. IM'" ..in! 1,1,1, rt. ii"-.' ;iy. A li>'" <».iiihl iml" i ,iimi ili>-\ ".tv»- ni". and i nr» 1 .r\; or :n> •.-..lit r!-r ill llatlull!- ] »n- -Innd all t ne i,ion<'V f .r : !r:nk t.rd i'M'i- f • ft owin-' in ■}r T.wn. \\Ml. "iott may le-r \uiir oaih. ihc I . .!,.rr|-aft uire- th.'t innch work ! T\v,i- ;i wonder tiiey didn't melt away intirelv. m« coining and jzoin« to • Mr. M<:M«thou. the attorr.oy, v.lio wj.^

being employed by the second lord tr, work tlie ease. aud iu the morning Mr. -McMalioii went down to llu* barrack-, ;aml sitid it was all a iiu-Uikr, thai the man iu «iaol wa* tli/ real Lord Craw ford. So lit* wji.« released, with miiiiy k apologies frura the .sergi-aut fur tlif intake. t J. in*ji tin' wire.-. were hc! I ing again to try and iind the t\\u pu.s.it'Va, as tlh'V Were IHMV proved to i: and though Lord Crawford oliered a iywai'd Of wan hundred pound* for information thai wonid lead In then arrest, the divil a siglrt of cither •>] them did thoy ever see again. wan u.t or another. WVI|. though my nuiMer Mayed a while with nm to lish, In* had no iuei, and was no iishennan either. and I'if divil a lUh ho killed bnl wan. Bm thanks bo to <«od he never sacked me. though ho took himself nil', curbing hi.-> bad luck, and the poaching lord in particular.