MEMORIES OF THE COUNTRY PEOPLE 81 



thought of giving: him a rest. He pulled more 

 than a httle, and if you touched his head at a 

 fence he came down, but when one learnt to ride 

 with a flapping rein and a trusting heart, he was 

 the best of hunters. 



He came to CaherconHsh Meet for me one day, 

 fourteen miles from his stable, and the poor beast 

 was really spiritless. I rode him a short way and 

 then came to the road disgusted. 



" What's wrong with this horse ? " I said. 

 " He's dead tired." 



" Tirened is it. He that should be in the very 

 best of fettle an' I to ride him forty mile on the 

 road yestherday to have him clean in the wind 

 for ye." 



The poor bay went home for that day. They 

 killed him afterwards racing him. 



Our special trains from Limerick are often 

 quite amusing. Some time ago when the station- 

 master was new to it, he saw a stranger with two 

 red setters about to travel on our train. Up he 

 came bustling. " No one but huntsmen were to 

 travel. No one and not them dogs." 



" Specially going out for Major Wise," said 

 someone sweetly and quickly. " Deerhounds." 



Our station-master eyed the red setters. 



" Huntin' dogs," he said. " Into a first class with 



thim, Johnny, straight away. All that belongs 



to the hunting party can go an' welcome." 



I have seen the signals against us, until the 

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