O'GEADY'S FOX 77 



Upon reaching the grassy lane he set Kitty going 

 " hell for leather " and as he saw one of the field dis- 

 appear into the water he chuckled ; " there's one iv them 

 down for a swim in the brook, begob, an' me sailin' along 

 as dhry an' comfortable as the Lord Mayor iv Dublin in 

 his goolden coach to the sessions." 



Denis's jubilant tone suddenly altered, however, and 

 his face was momentarily clouded as he murmured 

 uneasily, " A suckin' pig'U pay the keeper, but sure 

 there'll be holy murdher entirely if Pether hasn't put 

 down the fox as I tould him." Then, as suddenly re- 

 gaining his wonted cheerfulness, he administered several 

 resounding " rib binders " to the sides of the old mare 

 and burst forth into the following impromptu and 

 inspiriting lines : — 



"Come up, me ould darlin', an' hould in your breath, 

 Let's both stop complainin' till we're in at the death." 



Kitty responded by see-sawing her way up the lane 

 crab-fashion, greatly to the discomfort of her poetical 

 rider, whose hat, having lost much of its brown paper 

 ballast at the first fence, persisted in balancing itself on 

 the extremity of his tip -tilted and rubicund nose. 



" Hould hard, ye ould divil, till I put me hat straight. 

 Hould hard ! " he cried as he vainly hauled and tugged 

 at the cast-iron mouth of his unruly mount. " Whoa ! 

 ye ugly disthressin' baste, an' may the divil fly away 

 wid ye for a motion car ! " continued he, bestowing a 

 plentiful share of " long oats ! " on the flanks and ribs 



