DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 199 



it through the previous season, so, after our morn- 

 ing's greeting, I said, *I think we had better put 

 new hnes on; you'll find some in the basket.' So 

 new lengths were joined to the old ones and wound 

 upon our winches, in comphment to Achill pollack. 



We had made every preparation for starting immedi- 

 ately after breakfast, so no sooner was the meal over 

 than we mounted the car, which, although horsed 

 by a different animal, was driven b}^ Pat, who welcomed 

 us with a hearty 'Good-morning to yer honours and 

 good luck to the day.' 



While mounting the hill he displayed much spirit 

 in his talk, and some of his tales were worthy of his 

 master. Unwisely, I told him of the Irish driver 

 who when he pulled up his four outside a hotel had 

 one of them drop dead, and how, when the ostler 

 spoke of the luck of its happening there, he said, 

 'Luck, be jabers ! Why the animal was dead on the 

 hill; it's me driving that brought it here to drop.' 

 This was new to Pat, and, I fear, acted as a spur to one 

 whose chief need was a drag, and contributed some- 

 what to the accident that befell us. 



The pace we travelled at seemed to be ever on 

 the increase, and the whip to be making increasing 

 flourishes, when on turning a high-hedged comer 

 we were startled to see a cart within a few yards of 

 us on the same track. The horses were pulled back 

 upon their haunches, and the inevitable collision was 

 thereby modified to a bump of wheels. The men 

 failed to settle who was more to blame, though each 

 spoke as if perfectly sure upon the point. Pat's 

 grievance was thrown into, — 



'Divil take ye. Couldn't ye see the pace I was 

 coming at? Isn't the side of the road good enough 

 for the bag av bones ye sit behind?' 



The man thus addressed made reply, — 



'Bag av bones, is it, begorra, and yerself not fit 

 to bray in the same field with it. But it's meself 



