THE BALLYHILLY BEAGLES 15 



worthy spouses used their powers of persuasion to some 

 effect. The Sunday homecoming of the hunters furnished 

 scandal to the village gossips for days, to the detriment 

 of the fair fame of the members of the hunt generally. 



Some of the more mature heads amongst them, there- 

 fore, took counsel together, and used their influence that 

 the next Saturday's meet should well be within the bounds 

 of their own parish, not on the same ground as before, 

 as had been previously arranged. The younger members 

 remonstrated, " There wasn't a single hare in the parish 

 to hunt." But they were speedily silenced and overawed 

 by their elders. " Whisht," said Pat Lynch, " we've 

 hunted before gossoons like ye iver saw the Hght, and 

 here's ould Denis has ' raised ' [found] hares on land 

 where the larks looked big as turkeys, and where ye could 

 have hunted an earwig from one march ditch to the other, 

 for all the cover there was." 



The Squire was advised of the change of ground, and, 

 acting up to his promise of the preceding Saturday, put in 

 an appearance at the meet, which was at Hogan's Cross- 

 roads, and that day the dwellers in Ballyhilly heard the 

 notes of the horn and the merry cry of the beagles within 

 sound of their own doors. 



Anxious to learn the art of hare-hunting, young Egan 

 stuck close to old Denis, who had the reputation of know- 

 ing all that was to be learnt in that particular branch of 

 the chase. Some likely-looking cover on a scrubby hill- 

 side was first tried, but this proved blank, and during the 

 working of the hounds the young Squire was introduced 



