654 ST. MARTIN'S EVE. 



games. Well, it was not long till he shoved his corragh* into the 

 stream, and pulled away bravely, and he got on illigant, though 

 there was a heavy fresh in the river, and the falls of Doonass were 

 roaring like tundher, until he reached the black eddy that curls 

 under the lower side of yon little scrubby island, when, stopping to 

 brathe a bit, he thought he heard a most melancholy screeching 

 rise out of the water, and, turning his head to find what misfortinet 

 Christian was in such dismal trouble, he saw and sure the sight 

 would melt the heart of a stone a most beautiful young lady all in 

 white floating down the stream, stretching out her milk-white arms 

 to Syl, and calling to him by name to save her from the cruel waters. 

 Well becomes Syl, who never wanted more than the wink of the 

 word from a handsome cailleen and what more would he want ? 

 he didn't wait to think of what he was about, but pulled his corragh 

 into the eddy close to the drownding lady, who laid hoult of the side 

 of it, all the time calling to Syl with a voice so sweet and so delud- 

 ing, that the poor boy leant over to help her out of the water, and 

 stretching his hand to her, she caught it with a death grip beteene 

 both of hers, and kept smiling in his face, but made no offer to get 

 into the boat. Syl Coogan, as I told you, gintlemen, was as clever 

 and able a boy as any in the three parishes, but he thought he never 

 felt any thing so heavy upon his arm as that slindher-looking girl; 

 the more he tried to lift her the weightier she grew, until at last the 

 gunnel of his corragh was even with the water, and it was only then 

 in the hoighth of his distress that he begged of the girl to let go his 

 hand ; but all his prayers were like chaff upon the wind, she only 

 kept smiling and pulling him the more, till at last the corragh turned 

 over and tumbled poor Syl into the Shannon. 



" ' God bless us ! ' says he, as the water came whistling into his 

 ears, and he felt himself going down, down, down further nor I can 

 tell, until at long last he found himself landed upon the bottom, a 

 small taste out of breath by rason of his long journey through the 

 water, but not much the worse for the dip. 



" 'Praise be to the Vargin! I'm on dry land at last,' says Syl, 

 squeezing the water out of the tail of his blue coat ,' but my illigant 

 coat's spoilt for ever and a day by this job, it will never be worth a 

 fryatee skin no more och! ach ! its a sorrowful day to me.' 



" While he was lamenting this way, he took no notice of the white 

 lady who was standing by his side till she pulled him by the sleeve, 

 and says she, * Consumin's to the coat, don't bother yourself about 

 it, Syl jewel, you shall have ten better than that if you wish.' 



" ' And who's to give them to me?' asked Syl. 



" ' I will, Syl, asthore,' says the girl, looking quite loving into his 

 face. 



" ' Is it you, alanniah f well, an' that's mighty civil of you ; but, 

 my beauty bright, maybe you could give me the hard word J where 

 I could get a drop of nourishment, for I'm mightily afeard I'll take 

 my death of cowld in this damp country.' 



* A small boat,' made of wicker work and covered with stretched hides, some- 

 times used on t e Shannon. 



f My child. % Hard word ;~ a hint. 



