THE BALLYHILLY BEAGLES 19 



ceptibly ; but, possibly spurred on by the idea of a second 

 " christening " at the expense of the Squire, never a one 

 " threw up the sponge." 



Old Denis, closely attended by the Squire, was ever 

 in the van, and every now and again the ear-piercing 

 " Forrard, forrard, forrard, me darlints ! " of the veteran 

 would be heard above the cry of the hounds. At length 

 the line began to ring somewhat, and some of the followers 

 declared that the hare would shortly double and try back 

 to her " pad " again. The detour taken by the hounds 

 was but small, however, and up hill and down dale they 

 flew, pointing for a small whitewashed farmhouse, which 

 lay nestling amongst the cluster of thatched barns and 

 outhouses about a quarter of a mile ahead. Suddenly the 

 report of a gun rang out, and upon hearing the sound 

 Denis O'Grady cried, " Come on, boys ; that ould divil 

 Tim Cassidy is up to his poaching thricks again, and I'll 

 warrant he has popped the hare." 



Helter-skelter ran the crowd of puffing, mud-soiled 

 hare-hunters, yelling vengeance against Cassidy, " the 

 cursed pot-hunter," and as they approached the home- 

 stead, there, sure enough, stood the hated farmer on the 

 topmost rungs of a stack ladder, pouring out curses on 

 the heads of the Ballyhilly beagles, which were baying at 

 the foot of his haven of refuge. 



" Come down, ye murderin' thief ; come down and 

 bring the hare ye killed this minute wid ye, or I'll shake 

 ye ofi your perch to feed the dogs," cried Denis, violently 

 shaking the ladder. 



