1 86 O'er Crag and Torrent 



horror of our position was this : In the 

 ardour of our pursuit we had quite forgotten 

 or overlooked the fact that the morrow was 

 the commencement or rather opening day 

 of Punchestown races, and every hole and 

 corner was occupied or had been secured. 

 The principal hostel had been requisitioned 



by Sir T and his guests. Lodging 



accommodation was unprocurable for love 

 or money. We should have been starved 



in the midst of plenty had not Sir T 



been good enough to insist on our dining 

 with him and his party, after which we 

 sent ragged emissaries to scour the place 

 for sleeping quarters, without avail. Matters 

 were becoming serious, and I suppose our 

 countenances expressed the acute disquietude 

 of our minds, for our host and his friends 

 dubbed the "Laird" the <( Knight of the 

 Rueful Countenance," whilst my temporary 

 patronymic became " Melancholy Jakes." 



