THE BALLYHILLY BEAGLES 17 



supper, for he'll stink like an ould weasel," replied the 

 man addressed ; and on they went again, seeing the un- 

 fortunate Pat had managed to pull himself safely to the 

 bank. 



For twenty minutes did that little pack of beagles run 

 without a check, and almost as straight as they would 

 have done had they been hunting a fox ; so straight, 

 indeed, that some of the older hands began to wonder of 

 what nature the quarry was. 



" Gamest ould hare as iver run," said one man en- 

 thusiastically to a neighbour, as he panted and pounded 

 across a heavy plough, a good quarter of a mile behind the 

 sterns of the hounds. 



" Ay, by me sowl," responded another, " she's the 

 divil iv a long-winded one, and niver a view of her yet, 

 begob." 



" An' niver did I run wid a sweeter ' cry ' of dogs ; 

 musha, God bless the darHnts ! " cried a third. 



The words were scarcely uttered than the little pack 

 came to an abrupt check on the banks of a small osier - 

 fringed brook, and apparently utterly at fault and unable 

 to puzzle out another yard of the line, they allowed the 

 Squire, Denis 0' Grady, and those of the field who had 

 managed " to stay " through the burst, to come up with 

 them. 



" Two good miles as the crow fhes, the divil a foot 

 less. Did iver ye know a hare run so straight in all your 

 Hfe, Denis ? " asked McLoughHn, the village cobbler, 

 as he mopped his bald head with the tail of his checked 



B 



