THE RIVER. 305 



" By George, I thought he was not quite 

 such a fool as he looked. Well, Pat, I 

 suppose you have no objection to tell me all 

 about it?" 



" Faith, I'll just be doing that, your rive- 

 rence. Now, your worship, d'ye see, all 

 them watherkeepers was mighty mad upon 

 Hector, because they'd all be turned off when 

 there was norra a fish to look after. So 

 they goes to Micky, who was the boy to do 

 the job. So Micky says, says he, that it 

 must be done, — so he goes to the tinants, 

 them as did the first job for Hector ; but, 

 bad luck to them, the divel a sowl would 

 come, for, d'ye see, aft.her the first fight, 

 which them boys did right clever, the land- 

 lord just upped and tould them to their 

 heads, that they should have no more hand 

 in it. So them dirty spalpeens afther that 

 would not stir a fut. So then Micky turns 

 away mad enough, for he'd towld the wather- 

 keepers that he would ris a big faction. So 

 he goes to the boys of Ballyshannon, and he 

 says to them, says he, c Sure, then, boys, 

 there's that blackguard Hector that's spoil- 

 ing the country entirely — divel the petaty 

 will the boys that keeps the river have to 



x 



