CHAPTER XI 



RANDY'S wind was up, after his affair with the billy 

 goat of Innistorwhele. I think he had a hunch to 

 swim over to the island, and take it out of the surviving hill 

 climbers ; as he was ever gazing over the water to the distant 

 islet. But, apparently, thinking better of it, he eschewed 

 goat flesh, and chewed mutton in the shape of an innocent 

 lamb, which, having lost its dam, was being brought up by 

 hand at a local cottager's. Naturally the owner waxed 

 exceeding wrath, and put in an excited appearance, bearing 

 what remained (mostly wool and gore) of his cherished lambkin 

 in his arms. 



" Aw, yer 'anner," gasped Terry Millighan for such was his 

 name " see phwat yez dirthy, shark- faced son av a disgraceful 

 mother has done teu me poor, helpless lamb bad cess to 'im 

 for a mangy, squint-eyed, three-cornered cur dog teu Hell 

 wid'm ! " 



There was no gainsaying the transgression ; for Randy 

 had been caught flagrante delicto, and was rendered parti- 

 coloured by tell-tale crimson stains, and slavering jaws. 



I was furious ! I had never known my favourite bull 

 terrier to be guilty of such truculent rascality before. My 

 first impulse was to belabour him within an inch of his life ; 

 but after careful consideration I fell back on what I hoped 

 might prove a far more efficacious punishment, and one 

 which I hoped would give the backslider furiously to think 

 before venturing on any similar atrocity. I tied what remained 

 of the unfortunate lambkin to his neck, gave him a sharp 

 reminder with an ash plant and shut him up in an outhouse. 



At intervals I visited him, and each time admonished him 

 with tongue and stick ; with the consequence that he became 



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