The Merry Past 



brated even among that desperate set of centaurs, 

 the Irish horse-breakers. On one occasion the 

 " bagles " found a fox, and ran into him on the 

 banks of the Shannon, in an orchard which a gentle- 

 man had been newly making, around which a stiff 

 stone wall, upwards of six feet high, had been erected. 

 Over this wall, after a sharp run, Jack rode a young 

 mare, got by Kildare ; and though such hops were 

 not miracles in Munster, it caused some talk among 

 the sporting gentry, one of whom happened to meet 

 Jack a few days after. " The top of the marning to 

 yure Honour ! " " Well, Jack, how is all at home ? 

 That was a raal skelp you had on Monday. Is it 

 true that you rode the Kildare mare over Harry 

 Cahill's garden wall ? " " Is it true ? " cried Jack. 

 " Is there water in the Shannon ? and the divil a 

 word of lie in that." " But tell me. Jack, now in 

 arnest — was it as high as they spake about ?' " " By 

 Jazus," roared Jack, " an' is it yure honour's silf 

 that's after axing that ar of me ? Blud and nouns, 

 wasn't it a wall for nailing paches (peaches) aginst?" 

 Another prominent figure in the field was the 

 huntsman Tim, who at dinner always stood behind 

 the " ould Crack's " chair. Tim had a grin like a 

 satyr, and a fiery red nose which in a hot day it was 

 absolutely painful to look at. He was attired in a 

 long green coat with a hare on the buttons, red waist- 

 coat, clean leathers, and shoes. This uncouth at- 

 tendant was badly crippled, owing to severe falls. 

 He made a shift to wait, however, which produced 

 rather a disagreeable effect on strangers not used to him. 



62 



