SIGNS OF FISH. 1 45 



consternation this event occasions — the women are 

 clamorous — the men curse fluently in Irish — and, from 

 the vows of eternal vengeance which are uttered against 

 the spoliator of the Colonel's wardrobe, I should imagine, 

 in case of apprehension, that the ceremony of waiting 

 till the next assizes will be dispensed with. Antony 

 " remembers the country these seventy years : many 

 a robbery happened in his time, but — God stand between 

 him and evil 1 — to take a gentleman's property, and he 

 coming to the master 1 — If it was a stranger, why, there 

 would be no great harm," &c., &c 



Fear and poteein disturb the concatenation of ideas, 

 and Andy Bawn's is anything but a lucid narrative. 

 There is a confused account of the Bridge of Bally- 

 veeney, and a dark man, and the clicking of a gun-cock. 

 Now it appears that Andy is at feud with a Mr. Burke, 

 who finished a relative of his with a turj-slane,* and in 

 consequence has deemed it advisable to take to the 

 mountain until terms can be arranged with the widow. 

 Meantime, being a gentleman of active disposition, 

 he occupies his leisure hours upon the highway, and all 

 parties are unanimous in saddling him with the spolia- 

 tion of the portmanteau. I am inclined to suspect that 

 my kinsman hitherto sported deaf-adder to any rumour 

 of Burke being concealed within his territory — but I 

 think now the sooner Mr. Burke levants the better. 

 There is a settled gloom upon my cousin's brow, and 

 yonder consultation with his foster-brother, my island 

 friend, bodes the present proprietor of the portmanteau 

 little good. To intercept a visitor's effects was indeed to 



" Beard the lion in his den, 

 The Douglas in his hall." — 



But dinner is announced. 



* An implement used for cutting turf, and heads occasionally. 



