HOTELS AND OTHERWISE 127 



A respectable young woman opened the door, 

 looked, and banged it in their faces. 



On renewed knocking she informed them that 

 she knew a moonhghter when she saw one, and 

 they could go to their Hkes. 



Two officers in Her Majesty's pay, out on a 

 bitter autumn night, with no other house near, 

 and taken for moonlighters — they abounded there 

 — it was too much ! 



One of the two, a big man, simplified the matter 

 by walking in, sitting down, and refusing to move. 



The other nervously explained his station in 

 life, to be calmly disbelieved. 



" Officers, where are ye, a gran' pair of officers, 

 an' out ye go. Matty, let ye put thim out." 



But the big man would not go. The son of the 

 house, ordered to remove them, looked dubious 

 and evaporated in search of the poHce. The old 

 man ranted threats. Mamma, refusing any variety 

 of refreshment, was the most difficult to deal with, 

 as she thrashed them with the term " moon- 

 lighter." 



" Nayther bacon nor eggs, no bread nor tay. 

 Moonlighters ! getting dacent people into trouble, 

 dockin' cattle. Moonlighters ! " 



At this point the boatman appeared, and of 

 course knew the family. All Irish people within a 

 radius of forty miles or so know each other, and 

 are generally cousins by marriage. 



" MoonUghters ! " he wailed — " A Captain and 



