The House on the Borderland | Page 2

at the end of a fortnight. We had brought sufficient
provisions to last us for that space of time, and water we could get from
the stream. Fuel we did not need, as we had included a small oil-stove
among our outfit, and the weather was fine and warm.
It was Tonnison's idea to camp out instead of getting lodgings in one of
the cottages. As he put it, there was no joke in sleeping in a room with
a numerous family of healthy Irish in one corner, and the pig-sty in the
other, while over-head a ragged colony of roosting fowls distributed
their blessings impartially, and the whole place so full of peat smoke
that it made a fellow sneeze his head off just to put it inside the
doorway.
Tonnison had got the stove lit now, and was busy cutting slices of
bacon into the frying-pan; so I took the kettle and walked down to the
river for water. On the way, I had to pass close to a little group of the
village people, who eyed me curiously, but not in any unfriendly
manner, though none of them ventured a word.

As I returned with my kettle filled, I went up to them and, after a
friendly nod, to which they replied in like manner, I asked them
casually about the fishing; but, instead of answering, they just shook
their heads silently, and stared at me. I repeated the question,
addressing more particularly a great, gaunt fellow at my elbow; yet
again I received no answer. Then the man turned to a comrade and said
something rapidly in a language that I did not understand; and, at once,
the whole crowd of them fell to jabbering in what, after a few moments,
I guessed to be pure Irish. At the same time they cast many glances in
my direction. For a minute, perhaps, they spoke among themselves thus;
then the man I had addressed, faced round at me, and said something.
By the expression of his face I guessed that he, in turn, was questioning
me; but now I had to shake my head, and indicate that I did not
comprehend what it was they wanted to know; and so we stood looking
at one another, until I heard Tonnison calling to me to hurry up with the
kettle. Then, with a smile and a nod, I left them, and all in the little
crowd smiled and nodded in return, though their faces still betrayed
their puzzlement.
It was evident, I reflected as I went towards the tent, that the inhabitants
of these few huts in the wilderness did not know a word of English; and
when I told Tonnison, he remarked that he was aware of the fact, and,
more, that it was not at all uncommon in that part of the country, where
the people often lived and died in their isolated hamlets without ever
coming in contact with the outside world.
"I wish we had got the driver to interpret for us before he left," I
remarked, as we sat down to our meal. "It seems so strange for the
people of this place not even to know what we've come for."
Tonnison grunted an assent, and thereafter was silent for awhile.
Later, having satisfied our appetites somewhat, we began to talk, laying
our plans for the morrow; then, after a smoke, we closed the flap of the
tent, and prepared to turn in.
"I suppose there's no chance of those fellows outside taking anything?"
I asked, as we rolled ourselves in our blankets.

Tonnison said that he did not think so, at least while we were about;
and, as he went on to explain, we could lock up everything, except the
tent, in the big chest that we had brought to hold our provisions. I
agreed to this, and soon we were both asleep.
Next morning, early, we rose and went for a swim in the river; after
which we dressed, and had breakfast. Then we roused out our fishing
tackle, and overhauled it, by which time, our breakfasts having settled
somewhat, we made all secure within the tent, and strode off in the
direction my friend had explored on his previous visit.
During the day we fished happily, working steadily up-stream, and by
evening we had one of the prettiest creels of fish that I had seen for a
long while. Returning to the village, we made a good feed off our day's
spoil, after which, having selected a few of the finer fish for our
breakfast, we presented the remainder to the group of villagers who had
assembled at a respectful distance to watch our doings. They seemed
wonderfully grateful, and heaped mountains of, what I presumed to be,
Irish blessings upon our