104 THE SILVER FOX 



same speaker, " me father knew that well — 

 sure the bog itsel' is only sittin' on it. 

 There's holes up in Cahirdreen that's sixty 

 feet deep, and wather runnin' in the bottom 

 o' them. 'Tis out undher Tully that wather 

 goes. Sure there was a man had a grand 

 heifer — God knows ye'd sooner be lookin' 

 at her than atin' yer dinner — she fell down 

 in one o' them holes, and went away 

 undher the ground with the wather. As 

 sure as I'm alive, they heard her screeching 

 up through the bog ! " 



The reader of the Independent was 

 half-staggered, and the ganger, who had 

 advanced upon the party with the quietness 

 of a dangerous bull, here broke upon the 

 conversation in gross and fervid oratory. 



" They're gettin' it in style down there," 

 said one of the platform party. ** By damn, 

 if he comes to talkin' to me, I'll throw 

 down the shovel and ax him where is me 

 three weeks' wages ! " 



"Maybe ye will, Mortheen," rejoined his 

 nexc-door neighbour, ** an' maybe this time 



