to
bite at your hook," she replied, "for I have seen it floating there,
ever since Sandy began to row."

"Can't you stop rowing then, and let me catch some fish," exclaimed
Norman, turning round with an aggrieved look to the old man. "It
matters much more that I should catch fish, than that we should get to
the end of the loch just to please Fanny."

"I have no objection to stop rowing if you wish it, young gentleman,"
said Sandy, "though I would rather hear you say that you wanted to
please your sister more than yourself."

Norman did not heed the rebuke, but seeing his hook sink down fully
believed that he was going to catch a fish. He waited and waited with
unusual patience for him, but still his float rested without moving on
the calm waters.

"There are no fish here, young gentleman, that have a fancy for your
hook. We will go on to the end of the loch as I promised your sister,
and try what we can do when we come back. Just sit down and let your
line hang out if you like. There will be no harm in doing that, though
the fish may not be the worse for it."

As Sandy began to move his oars, Norman was obliged to do as he was
told. He looked very sulky and angry however, and would not even answer
Fanny when she spoke to him.

At last they reached the end of the loch. Here the mountain appeared to
be cloven in two--a narrow channel running at the bottom of the gorge
and uniting Loch Tulloch to another larger loch beyond. Fanny was
delighted, especially when Sandy poling the boat along proceeded onwards
till the loch and bright sunshine being left behind, they found
themselves in the gloom of the narrow gorge with lofty cliffs arching
overhead, so that when they looked up, all they could see was a narrow
strip of blue sky above them.

"We cannot go further," said Sandy, "for some big rocks stop the
passage, or I would take you a row through a larger loch than our ain.
If you stand up you can just see its blue waters shining brightly at the
head of the gorge."

"I want to go back and begin fishing," cried Norman, in an angry tone,
"we are wasting our time here."

"Yours is very valuable time, young gentleman, I doubt not," remarked
Sandy, standing up in the bow of the boat, which having turned round, he
began to pole out by the way they had entered.

They were soon again in the loch, which looked brighter and more
beautiful than ever after the gloom of the gorge.

They had not gone far when Norman a