292 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



I was moved to my choice by the beard that 

 pendulated before me. I took the precaution to 

 ask if he had ever heard of the Jew who wagered 

 a hair from his beard with a hairy-faced Irishman 

 against one of his that he could name more saints 

 than the Irishman could, a hair to be pulled for 

 each saint. 



" There's nothing new, sorr, the world is too old, 

 but tell it, for Mike would bite his nose off, and no 

 danger to it, to hear a joke that's new." 



So I went on with the tale and told them how, 

 when single hairs in numbers had been extracted, 

 the Jew demanded and took a dozen for the twelve 

 apostles. The painful loss of these sharpened the 

 Irishman's wits as to the advantages of disposing of 

 his saints wholesale, so he replied : 



"Thin be jabers I'll give ye the Royal Irish 

 Fusiliers, every one av thim a saint, and clear yer 

 chin, ye divil." 



It was Mike that laughed ; Tony had heard it 

 once too often. The day was waning before I saw 

 him smile and, as will happen with many folk, it 

 was at no tale told by others but at what he said 

 himself. 



" I am afraid tales worry you, Tony, and that 

 you prefer more attention to the fishing." 



" Not at all, yer honour ; it's meself that's niver 

 toired of listening and it's sorrow I have that 

 jintlemen's tales get here before thim." 



There was roguery in this for Mike laughed 

 loudly and Tony's face relaxed, while Harry, think- 

 ing it "a hit" or to encourage Tony to further 

 speech, laughed and said : " Hear ! Hear ! " 



"Mike," said Tony, "will spread his mouth as 



