DEATH OF THE OTTER-KILLER. 333 



and with one exception, a quiet and respectful silence 

 supervened. A stout, though aged crone, occasionally 

 burst into wild lament, accompanied by a beating on 

 her breast, which, Uke the signal to a chorus, elicited a 

 fresh ebullition from the subordinate mourners. John, 

 however, interposed his authority effectually. — " Bada- 

 husty hanamondiouly badahust^ I say ! ye may kdnagh 

 at the funeral, but ye mustn't disturb the master and 

 the company." This jobation restored tranquillity, and 

 in " decent grief *' the otter-killer's corpse was duly 

 laid out in its funeral habiliments. 



The evening wore on heavily — my kinsman was 

 sensibly affected ; his old monitor in the gentle art was 

 gone ; and though full in years, and ripe for the tomb, 

 his master felt that " he could have better spared a 

 better man." There was heart-sinking about our party 

 which I had never marked before. The wine had lost 

 its charm ; and while the Colonel and the Priest com- 

 menced a game of piquet, my cousin ordered the gig, 

 and proposed that we should pull over to the herring- 

 boats, which, in the next estuary, and on the preceding 

 night, had been unusually successful. Accordingly, 

 having lighted our pipes and procured our boat-cloaks, 

 we left the pier-head in the four-oared galley. 



The night was unusually dark and warm ; not a 

 breath of wind was on the water ; the noise of the oars, 

 springing in the coppered rowlocks, was heard for a 

 mile off, and the whistle of sand-pipers and jack curlews, 

 as they took wing from the beach we skirted, appeared 

 unusually shrill. Other noises gradually broke the 

 stillness of the night — the varied hum of numerous 

 voices chanting the melancholy songs which are the 

 especial favourites of the Irish, began to be heard 



