1 8 WILD SPORTS OF THE WEST. 



CHAPTER III. 



As my journey hither has been singularly propitious, 

 I shall only trouble the reader with the leading incidents. 



My carriage broke down close to the inn of Glantane, 

 a soHtary house, as the song goes, " delightfully placed 

 in a bog." As some delay must necessarily occur 

 before the repairs of the vehicle could be effected, after 

 the example of that accompHshed cavalier. Major 

 Dalgetty, I determined to seize on this opportunity to 

 provision the garrison. To this prudent proceeding 

 on my part I found there was an insurmountable 

 obstacle ; the landlady assured me that the " materiel " 

 was in the house — there was bacon in the chimney, 

 and chickens in the yard, but there was no turf within, 

 till the hoys — the devil bother them for staying I — came 

 home from the blacksmith's funeral. Now, that 

 the hotel of Glantane should be deficient in this point 

 was marvellous. The surface of the circumjacent country, 

 in its proportion of tillage ground to turbary, bears an 

 acreable ratio of one to five hundred ; and yet, though 

 in the bosom of a bog, there could not be a sufficiency 

 of fire obtained to boil a potato-pot ! But human 

 ingenuity is surprising ; after a delay of three mortal 

 hours I re-ascended my chaise, and, without further 

 accident, was deposited in the town of Tuam. 



On the merits of the Mitre Inn I shall be silent ; it 

 produced in good time a respectable quarter of cold 

 lamb, and a dish of exquisite potatoes. By the way, 

 we cannot cook this latter esculent in England. Had 

 my fare been worse, I would have submitted without 



