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THE LORD AND THE GAMEKEEPER. 



THE Irish are notorious humourists; and when out of the reach of 

 extreme poverty, which embitters the best feelings of human nature, 

 are the kindest-hearted of people. Their jests seldom have a sting 

 they are but skin-deep their shafts rather tickle than wound, and 

 the person against whom they are directed will rather laugh than 

 look serious. An Irishman is an adroit flatterer; but his lurking love 

 of a joke sometimes renders his recompence equivocal. I once knew 

 an Irish gamekeeper who was in himself a comic magazine. He 

 was, moreover, good-nature itself, and would never allow any one, if 

 he could help it, to be dissatisfied with his own prowess in the field. 

 He had an excuse for every miss, and every successful shot was mag- 

 nified into an extraordinary effort of skill. If any friend of his master 

 had been particularly unfortunate in his sport, Terence would 

 adroitly bring down his bird for him after an unsuccessful discharge, 

 and swear by all the saints he fired point-blank at another. He 

 would almost persuade his companion that he had made a wonderful 

 shot. In the following anecdote poor Terry was put to his wits' end 

 his ingenuity was fairly baffled. He had entered into the service 

 of an English gentleman who had purchased an estate in Ireland, 

 and was desired one morning to accompany a distinguished visitor of 

 his master's, who was understood to be a crack shot, and who was 

 about to sojourn with his friend for a time to the threatened dis- 

 paragement of his preserves for leagues around. Terry was thunder- 

 struck at this awful inroad upon his vocation, and though he was a 

 good shot himself, quailed before the reputation of the English 

 amateur. This phenomenon of sportsmen we believe the affair is 

 no secret was no other than the present Lord Ellenborough ; so out 

 a shooting he went, accompanied by Terry O'Flin. 



Terry, influenced by the profound respect he entertained for his 

 lordship's abilities, did not presume to carry a gun ; he conceived 

 picking up the game would be the more fitting in so humble a pro- 

 ficient as himself to so distinguished an artist as his lordship. Well, 

 off they started with a brace of excellent Irish setters, and in a very 

 few moments a covey of partridges was found. 



" Now, your honour, that is your lordship I mane, now is your 

 lordship's honour's time ; faith it's down some of 'em will be cumin' 

 I'll warrant 'em." 



His lordship stole cautiously within distance, the gamekeeper close 

 behind him, and making sure that the English nobleman must be 

 more than a good shot, as some of his more humble countrymen had 

 proved themselves to be so amongst the Irish no great while ago. 

 The birds were flushed, the lord fired, and away flew the covey 

 unscathed. 



The Irishman was puzzled ; he scratched his head for a moment, 

 looked at his lordship, and then at the gun, and then at the dogs, 

 who appeared equally puzzled, and at length said, 



" Upon my sowl, my lord, that same was about the clanest miss 

 myself ever did see in my born days. I was botherin' my brains to 



M.M. No. 99. 2 t 



