THE BALLYHILLY STEEPLECHASE 159 



to Daly's Donovan, that come poundin' an' blowin' 

 along through the dirt like an ould broken-winded 

 thramway-hor se. ' ' 



" Arrah, be aisy, Denis ; 'twas Daly laughing at ye 

 ye heard," chimed in one of the " spalpeens." 



" An' I saw him crossin' Martin's field," echoed 

 another, " an' he was for all the world like an old red- 

 coated ' pongo ' " (monkey) " liangin' on to a runnin' 

 dog. Begob, it was a big circus pad he should 'av' had 

 instead iv a dacent saddle ; an' sure the ould white hat 

 was sthramin' behind like a runaway funeral." 



" An' it's yourself 'd better be afther orderin' your 

 own funeral if ye can't keep your slandherin' tongue 

 from waggin' at your betthers," said Denis to his inter- 

 rupter. 



" Then we come to Martin's boreen wid the double, 

 an' the ould mare dhropped in an' out iv the lane as 

 purty as a tom-cat a-courtin', Micky, an' went sailin' 

 away across the bog corner like ould Bellman runnin' 

 in view." 



" An' didn't Patsy Lanigan an' meself see ye turn 

 somersault an' jump into the saddle again like a bare- 

 backed show-rider as the mare went over ? " put in 

 another of the tormentors by way of allusion to a 

 " purler " which Denis sustained at the double in 

 question. 



" An' it's yerself should be the clown's flunkey, wid 

 the black diamond on your eye, for all the brains ye have 

 when a half-'un iv whisky sets ye ravin' like a slit- 



