Page 157 - The snake's pass

VANISHED. — 145
not until the subject of the bog at Knocknacar was
completely exhausted that I got any clue on the sub-
ject. I then ashed Dick if he had had a good time
at Shleenanaher ?
11 Yes ! " he answered. " Thank G-od ! the work is
nearly done. We went over the whole place to-day
and there was only one indication of iron. This was
in the bog just beside an elbow where Joyce's land—his
present land—touches ours ; no ! I mean on Murdock's,
the scoundrel ! " He was quite angry with himself for
using the word " ours " even accidentally.
11
And has anything come of it ? " I asked him.
" Nothing Now that he knows he
! it is there,
would not let me go near it on any account. I'm in
hopes he'll quarrel with me soon in order to get rid
of me, so that he may try by himself to fish it—what-
ever it may be—out of the bog. If he does quarrel
with me ! Well ! I only hope he will ; I have been
longing for weeks past to get a chance at him.
Then she'll believe, perhaps " He stopped.
"You saw her to-day, Dick!"
"
" How did you know that ?
" Because you look so happy, old man "
!
"Yes! I did see her; but only for a moment. She
drove up in the middle of the day, and I saw her go
up to the new house. But she didn't even see me," and
his face fell. Presently he asked :
"
" You didn't see your girl ?
" No, Dick, I did not "
! But how did you know ?