150 A MEDLEY OF SPORT 



" Sure an' I'd ride through purgatory an' back agin 

 for a keg iv that same iligant stuff," cried 0' Grady, as 

 he turned his glass upside down on the table, and to 

 whom, we may remark, the last glass of double X had 

 imported a considerable amount of Dutch courage. 



"Bravely said," remarked the Squire, continuing: 

 " The stakes are to be a silver-mounted hunting-crop, 

 a bacon-pig, and a keg of porter ; and the course over 

 three and a half miles of fair hunting country, to be chosen 

 and flagged by Mr Despard and myself. 0' Grady will 

 ride my old mare, Kitty, and " — with a smile — " Mr 

 Daly will follow him on his chestnut gelding, Donovan." 



" An' begob it's right your honour is," said Denis ; 

 " for sure young Tom Daly '11 follow at ould Kitty's heels 

 like a groom, an' niver get any nearer, from start till 

 finish ; the impident spalpeen that he is, settin' himself 

 agin the best blood iv the O'Gradys." 



" An' if ye hadn't offered to give a couple iv stone, 

 an' a batin' to boot, to any man for ten miles round, 

 it's not meself'd iv thought iv challengin' an ould hand 

 at the game like yourself," said the farmer, with a grin. 



" Begorra, if it wasn't that I hated so much dead 

 weight in the saddle, I'd give ye twice as much, an' bate 

 ye hands down. But sure an' it's yourself, Tom Daly, 

 '11 stand a dhrink round to the boys to show there's no 

 ill-feelin' in the matther," answered Denis, pushing his 

 tumbler towards the landlord. To this request, Daly 

 smiled with good-natured compliance. 



The programme was there and then arranged for the 



