Page 156 - The snake's pass

144 THE snake's pass. — —
niore chance for me that day; so I went sadly down the
hill, and, after a glance for Dick's sake at the cutting,
sought the sheebeen where Andy had the horse ready
harnessed in the car. I assumed as cheerful an aspect
as I could, and nattered myself that I carried off the
occasion very well. It was not at all nattering, however,
to my histrionic powers to hear Andy, as we were driving
off, whisper in answer to a remark deploring how sad 1
looked, made by the old lady who kept the sheebeen :
" Whisht Don't appear to notice him, or yell dhrive
!
him mad. Me opinion is that he's been wandherin' on
the mountain too long, an' tamperin' wid the rings on
the grass — you know—an' that he has seen the fairies!"
Then he said aloud and ostentatiously :
" Gee up ! ye ould corncrake — ye ought to be fresh
enough — ye've niver left the fut iv the hill all the day,"
—then turning to me, ''An' sure, surr, it's goin' to the
top that takes it out iv wan—ayther a horse or a
man."
I made no answer, and in silence we drove to Car-
naclif, where I found Dick impatiently waiting dinner
for me.
I was glad to find that he was full of queries
concerning the cutting, for it saved me from the con-
sideration of subjects more difficult to answer satis-
factorily. Fortunately I was able to give a good
account of the time spent, for the work done had far
exceeded my expectations. I thought that Dick was
in much better spirits than he had been ; but it was