10 HOUND AND HORN 



*^ How's she bred ? I suppose you got a pedigree 

 with her ? " 



" Yes, a real Irish pedigree ; by * Royal Meath ' 

 from ' Alanna,' and going back as long as your arm, 

 and a reputation even longer." 



" Yes ; what was it the dealer said about her ? " 



"Well, after I had bought the mare, and he had 

 pocketed his cheque, I said, ^ Now, Maloney, the 

 mare is mine and not returnable ; is there anything 

 about her that I should know ? Has she any trick 

 in or out of the stable ? ' ' Thrick is it ? ' he 

 replied, gulping down a glass of brown sherry 

 which he had selected to wet the bargain. ' In 

 the sthable she has a thrick av licking out her 

 manger clane, an' out av the sthable she has a 

 thrick av takin' ye to the front an' keepin' ye there.' 

 Then warming up, he went on, ^ Whei, the lasht 

 toime I rode her misilf wid the fox-hounds, we had 

 a twilve-moile point, an' she finished wan iv twilve 

 others in a field av siventy. On our way home we 

 met the sthag-hounds jist startin', so as she was 

 quite fresh, I tuk her on. We ran a twinty moile 

 point this toime — only foive of us finished out av 

 a field av a hundred,' and, raising his voice to a 

 high scream, 'an' wan av thim foive was your 

 mare.'" 



When Bill had done laughing, he said, " Well, I 

 must mount my hireHng and tak' the road." 



*' I suppose Brockie, of Kelso, has some useful 

 hack-hunters, eh. Batters ? " 



" Him," said Batters, in a tone of inexpressible 

 contempt, '* him : no, he hez nae horse." 



'' But I saw at least a dozen standing there to-day." 



