THE sheriff's OFFICER. 13d 



ever. The night for starting having arrived, my Uncle asked Jem 

 how he should contrive to get the sheriflf's oflScer out of the way ; 

 but Jem kept a mysterious silence on the subject, and my Uncle 

 saying that he was to take care that the man came by no hurt, as he 

 should not wish that, Jem replied, " hurt him, yer honner, I could'nt 

 think of sich a thing ; sure, them craythures is only made for our 

 divarsion." About the middle of the night a man was heard coming 

 running along, shouting fire ! fire ! but increasing the power of his 

 voice on getting near our watcher, whose name was Barney Mc'Grath. 

 " Is id fire?" says Barney. " Sure and you may say that, and a dread- 

 ful fire it is," said the man ; " Lord have mercy on their poor souls, 

 for its an awful sight, and one I would'nt wish to see again." "Is 

 there many lives lost^" says Barney. " One, whole family have 

 turned their backs on the light of day," said our friend. " Blessed 

 Mary," says Barney, " where is id?" " Fame-street,'' says he. " Is id 

 Fame-street," says Barney, his eyes almost starting out of his head. 

 " Whose family is id that's burnt," says Barney. " I dont remember 

 exact," says he, " but I believe it was one Barney McGrath's." One 

 terrific shout, accompanied by the upsetthig of the table and the rum 

 and water, and Barney was off* and the coast clear. Jem's head was 

 then observed stealthily peeping out of the window and asking whether 

 Bamey had gone to see the fire, and collect the remains of his precious 

 babies ; receiving a satisfactory answer, Jem and the unknown looked 

 in a very peculiar mamier at each other, nodding and winking, and 

 seeming to think they were very clever fellows. Jem then called the 

 masther, and in ten minutes my Uncle was on his road home. 



Darting along as though the d — 1 was at their heels, Jem on 

 the box alongside the driver, cursing and urging him onward, the 

 party proceeded thus for some time, nothing being heard but Jem's 

 oaths and my Uncle's laughter, as he related to some of his merry 

 friends who accompanied him the success of Jem's stratagem. Keep- 

 ing up the pace until they thought themselves comparatively safe, they 

 allowed the driver to draw up at a small inn at Enniskella, where 

 mhie host, making his appearance, saluted my Uncle, who was well 

 known to him, with what by the natives of those parts, passed for a 

 polite salutation. " Now, Gorman," said my Uncle, " see after every 

 thing necessary, for we must be off directly, and let us have some 

 whiskey punch immediately." " Yes, yer honner." •* And, Gorman, 



