174 HIGHWAYS AND HORSES. 



a swift involuntary descent ; but, in a twinkling, had 

 sprung to his feet, and seized his horse's head, calling 

 out to his companion as she picked herself up : ' 'Tis 

 yourself that is the fine souple young lady, and not a hair 

 the worse ; nayther is the mare, barrin' a couple of 

 small cuts, and one of the shafts is broke. Faix, it might 

 have been an accident.' 



" ' Arrah, what sort of a driver are ye, at all ? ' 

 shouted the owner of the turf-cart, breathless with 

 rage and haste. ' Oh, 'tis Larry Flood, an' I might 

 have known ! ' 



" ' And what call have you to be taking up the 

 whole road ? ' retorted Larry loudly. ' The divil 

 sweep you and your old turf kish that was nearly being 

 the death of us ! ' 



"'Ah, and sure wasn't she running away as hard 

 as she could lay leg to ground ? ' 



" ' Well, and if she was ; didn't she see you below in 

 the bog, and take you for a scare-crow ? And small 

 blame. Here, don't be botherin' me, Tim Moony, but 

 lend a hand to rig up the machine, and the tackling.' 



" Thanks to the turf-cutter's generous assistance, in 

 a very short time Mr, Larry Flood was enabled to 

 come forward and announce to his fare, who had 

 dusted her dress from bog-mould and taken a seat on 

 a piece of wood, that, ' He was ready, if she was.' 



" The young lady accordingly rose and followed him, 

 and gravely inspected the turn-out. The car was all 

 down on one side, the result of a spring broken in the 

 late collision ; but the reins had been knotted together, 

 and the shaft was tied up with a piece of twine. 



" ' It will hould all right," said Larry, following her 

 eyes. 'Anyway, it will carry your distance, I'll go 

 bail.' 



