126 



A DAY UP THE RIVER. 



haps, a man dropped, and was dragged out 

 or crawled out himself, as the battle swayed 

 backwards and forwards ; but after staring 

 stupidly about him for a minute or so, he 

 spat in his hand, grasped his stick, and went 

 at it again. A few of the older and steadier 

 women now and then tried to lead off a 

 husband or a brother, without any great 

 success : but this was by no means the feel- 

 ing of the majority, even of the women ; and 

 there was quite enough of waving of aprons 

 and neckerchiefs, and clapping of hands, and 

 screams of encouragement, from the battle- 

 ments above. 



"Your reverence, might I just go on 

 shore ?" said Slievan. 



" What on earth do you want on shore?" 

 said the Parson, who, as he happened just 

 then to be sitting on the boat's painter, was 

 an effectual obstacle to the killick's being 

 weighed without his consent. Surely you 

 do not want to fight! What on earth do 

 you care for Maguire or M'Manus ? They 

 are no kin of yours, nor friends neither, that 

 I know." 



" Ah, no ! your reverence ; but nobody 

 likes to see the sticks going and be doing 



