Page 106 - The snake's pass

94 — THE SNAKE'S PASS.
terday. We crossed over two fields, from which the stones
had been collected and placed in heaps. The land was
evidently very rocky, for here and there—more especially
in the lower part—the grey rock cropped up in places.
At the top of the farthest field, Andy pointed out an
isolated rock rising sharply from the grass.
" Look there, yer 'an'rs ; whin I remimber first, that
rock was as far aff from the bog as we are now from the
boreen—an' luk at it now ! why, the bog is close to it, so
it is." He then turned and looked at a small heap of
stones. "Murther! but there is a quare thing. Why
that heap, not a year ago, was as high as the top iv that
"
rock. Begor, it's bein' buried, it is !
Dick looked quite excited as he turned to me and
said :
" Why, Art, old fellow here is the very thing we
!
were talking about. This bog is an instance of
the gradual changing of the locality of a bog by the
filtration of its water through the clay beds resting on
the bed-rock. I wonder if the people here will let
me make some investigations! Andy, who owns this
land?"
" Oh, I can tell yer 'an'r that well enough it's Misther
;
Moriarty from Knockaltecrore. Him, surr," turning to
me, " that ye seen at Widda Kelligan's that night in the
shtorm."
"Does he farm it himself?"
it. The ould mare was riz
" No, surr—me father rints
on this very shpot."