124 A DAY UP THE RIVER. 



" What is the matter now, Slievan ?" 



"It is a faction fight, your reverence. 

 Barney Maguire has got the eel- weir, and 

 Tommy M'Manus says that the old man left 

 him the lease of it, and that Barney has 

 burnt the will ; so it 's settled they were to 

 Wait till the fair-day, and then get their 

 people together, and fight it out peaceably." 



" Upon my word," said the Parson, " that 

 is a good cheap Court of Chancery they have 

 chosen! Well, I am glad we have got a 

 seat in the court ! Let us sit down and 

 watch their pleadings." 



It was, indeed, very edifying to see the 

 regular, business-like, systematic manner, in 

 which the whole affair was arranged : the 

 spot had been selected with great judgment; 

 the space between the fort and the river was 

 just wide enough to fight comfortably upon, 

 without giving too much room for straggling 

 and independent fighting, which is much the 

 most dangerous part of an Irish row. The 

 stone parapets of the fort afforded admirable 

 accommodation to any number of spectators, 

 while the ditch obviated the smallest possi- 

 bility of their being incommoded, or in any 

 way involved in the fray. Many of the men 



