PODGEES' POINTER 89 



marvellous rapidity, and her anger was melted into 

 a well-feigned contrition for having used her fists 

 so freely. 



'' Poor baste ! shure it's frightened he is. I 

 wudn't hurt a fly, let alone an illigant tarrier like 

 that. Thry a bit o' beefsteak in regard o' yer 

 eye, sir. Ye must have hot it agin somethin' 

 hard ; it will be as black as a beetle in tin 

 minits." 



Podgers uttered full-flavoured language. I looked 

 at my watch and found that we could only " do " 

 the train. Having hailed an outside car, the break- 

 fastless Podgers seated himself upon one side, 

 whilst I took the other, and after a very consider- 

 able expenditure of hard labour and skilful strategy, 

 in which we were aided by the carman and Miss 

 Byrne, we succeeded in forcing Albatross (the 

 pointer) into the well in the middle. I am free 

 to confess that I sat with my back to that animal 

 with considerable misgivings. He looked hungry 

 and vicious, and as though a piece of human flesh 

 would prove as agreeable to his capacious maw as 

 any other description of food. It was his habit, too, 

 during our journey, to elevate his head in the air, 

 and to give utterance to a series of the most unearthly 

 bowlings, which could only be partially interrupted, 

 not by any means stopped, by Podgers' hat being 



