82 THE BEST OF THE FUN 



with I stuttered forth such portion of my directions as 

 I could remember to various peasants lounging about 

 their cabin doors. I might as well have addressed them 

 in Japanese or Malay. They merely looked at me 

 wonderingly but kindly. Of a sudden, however, a stal- 

 wart matron burst forth with emphasis, " Is it the hunt ye 

 mane?" She knew where that was to be, of course; 

 as did probably every villager for a dozen miles round. 

 And she directed me delightedly and intelligibly enough on 

 my way, to a function that in Ireland is second in attrac- 

 tion only to a funeral. 



A mare of charming quality was my mount, at Mr. 

 McDonald's kind hands, and her silken mane had been 

 plaited with exemplary neatness by her stable attendant. 

 Tw'o little damsels, barefooted, rosy-cheeked, blue-eyed, 

 and golden-haired, played by the roadside. " Ah, now ! 

 Look at the harse ! Hasn't he lovely curls?" cried one 

 laughing damsel. " Truth he has ! " chimed in the other 

 sweet imp, showing a set of teeth that fairly sparkled across 

 her face. '' But isn't it a lovely colonel ? " I appeal to 

 you, reader. Wouldn't you have crossed both their little 

 palms with silver ? I did — and rode on as jauntily as if 

 my gazette were in my pocket, and a new truth had just 

 been revealed and acclaimed. 



" What is that strong dog ? " I happened to inquire 

 of Brindley, as he strolled his pack along the road from 

 the meet. " He came from the Fitzwilliam," he replied, 

 giving the hound's name. " Did he ! " I exclaimed, my 

 curiosity aroused. " What is he by ? " Instead of the 

 information, I was met with an astonished counter-query, 

 " Who might you be ? " and the comment in all good 

 humour, " I've not been asked a hound's pedigree these 

 ever so many years " — showing that, thorough, practical, 

 and highly-advanced as is the science of riding in the 

 Green Island, the less exciting details of hound-culture are 

 not a subject of very wide interest. I was forced to explain 

 in excuse that the study in question was to a certain minor 

 extent my trade in life, which at once met with his friendly 

 approval. 



At the comfortable hour of 1.30, the deer was enlarged 



