DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 219 



talking; it's yer honours that are not seeing the fun 

 I am shpaking av.' 



I certainly did not. 



The three donkeys varied much in size. In the 

 rear was a large animal carrying our two leather 

 trunks, stuck on end, one in each pannier. The female 

 donkey, that had bent her back so obligingly to help 

 her loaders, was in the centre, and carried all the 

 sundries. The front of the position was occupied by 

 a httle animal that had the rod box — that had looked 

 so large at Dugort — pointing threateningly much be- 

 yond his ears and backward far beyond his tail. A 

 little crowd had gathered to see the strange show 

 make a start to ascend the hill, and, strange and 

 funny as it was, Irish politeness saved the situation 

 from laughter or audible remarks. 



The driver was level in his attention to the animals, 

 both with stick and tongue, and now and then favoured 

 me with a little talk that was principally in riddles 

 which he appeared to think would solve themselves; 

 and they did. The journey was not so long as I had 

 apprehended, for in Ireland two miles may mean any 

 distance. In this case it meant just two miles, that 

 were quickly got over, and we found ourselves in front 

 of the house we had been so tossed about in reaching. 

 The landlord came in answer to my knock, and I asked 

 him if he could accommodate my son and self with 

 bedrooms for a few days, but I failed to learn whether 

 he understood me, as his gaze roamed up and down 

 the little hne of donkeys a lengthened time, and then 

 with bowed head he disappeared, I presimied for 

 a conference, and we waited until, out of patience, 

 I knocked again. A stout, red-faced woman came 

 next, to whom I repeated my ^\^sh, and, seeing her 

 lips move, I expected a vocal answer, but she only 

 shook her head, and then she too disappeared. 1 

 turned to Pat and asked him if he thought they were 

 really full. He smiled, a very broad smile, and 



