THE SCHOOLMASTER ABROAD. 89 



effects a " capital" enlargement, for the beseigers are 

 in high excitement and have for the present forgotten 

 that a schoolmaster's eye will ever review the scene 

 of their spoliation. 



The most important fun seems to be going on in 

 the centre of the room, where a circle is formed around 

 a couple of heroes doing battle ; one stands close by 

 with a handkerchief applied to his eye, and another 

 is endeavouring to stop the bleeding of his nose with 

 a cloth cap in lack of any other means. A young 

 scion, from the other side of the sister isle, has just 

 been transplanted to this hopeful hotbed; a steel 

 knuckled, wire-limbed-looking fellow apparently of 

 most weak hams, but, on closer inspection, it may 

 be seen that he is just lean enough, race horse like, 

 for tough work. With a comic, Listonic expression 

 of features, he is endowed with a mouth which one 

 would suppose had been intended for a face three 

 times as large as his : he is as tall as any one of his 

 schoolmates, but appears as though he had not the 

 luck of becoming so well acquainted with pudding 

 and beef as they had. 



This is his second day of sojourn among the boys, 

 and he has been hailed with the usual salutation be- 

 stowed on new comers. 



" I say, Paddy Kelly, which of us '11 you fight ? " 



^^ O ! sure, Fll be afther doin' any thing to accom- 

 modate yez, I'll fight yez all round, if you like ; that's 

 the way we do in Roscommon." 



" Ha ! ha ! my fine cock ! I dare say some of us 

 can lick you with one hand ; I say Montgomery, 

 here's a chap that says he can thresh the whole of us." 



^^No ! I didn't ; but I think I can take the congate 

 of you first." 



*^ A ring ! a ring — for Martin and Kelly," exclaim 

 a dozen voices. 



" I'll fight him, when he's leathered you Martin," 

 whispered Montgomery. 



" You're a pretty fellow — aint you ? stay and see 

 me give him one good clinch, you be my second and 

 VOL. IV. — 1834. M 



