KERRY, CONNEMARA AND CLARE 249 



great age, but celebrated as the one-time strong- 

 hold, once home of Moya Rue (red Mary) . 



Here she was besieged and her husband cap- 

 tured one morning ; the now confident besiegers 

 at once asked for the surrender of the castle, or 

 they would hang the captured husband before the 

 eyes of the garrison. 



They little knew whom they had to deal with. 



** Hang him," she said composedly, ** Moya 

 O'Brien can easily get another husband but she 

 could never get another castle." 



Hanged he was, and the besiegers presently 

 routed and dispersed, but Moya Rue's second 

 husband was not a success. 



Writing so much of the sea reminds me of a 

 man who went for the first time to Kilkee last 

 year and was taken out to bathe. He went with 

 a very well-known swimmer down there, but of 

 course the surf and shallow water was all he could 

 manage and his friend went with him. Down he 

 ducked to each wave ; seeing that, James the friend, 

 gravely ducked also, in about three feet of water. 

 Presently a wave larger than the rest could be 

 seen rolling in right across the bay. 



" Lave me this one now. Lave me this one for 

 myself," screamed the novice, who evidently 

 thought he was being cheated of something if the 

 whole Atlantic was not left to him for his duck. 



I cannot leave out this postcard written by a 

 sweep to his employer. 



