Page 286 - The snake's pass

274 THE snake's pass.
rocks through which it fell ; that this, coupled with
the continuous rains had made the bog rise enor-
mously, and that he feared much there would be some
disaster. His fear was increased by what had taken
place at Knocknacar. Even here the cuttings had shown
some direful effects of the rain ; the openings, made
with so much trouble, had become choked, and as a
consequence the bog had risen again, and had even
spread downwards on its original course. Alarmed by
these things, Dick had again warned Murdock of the
danger in which he stood from the position of his
house ; and further, from tampering with the solid
bounds of the bog itself. Murdock had not taken his
warnings in good part—not any better than usual—and
the interview had, as usual, ended in a row. Murdock
had made the quarrel the occasion of ventilating his
grievance against me for buying the whole mountain,
for by this time it had leaked out that I was the pur-
chaser. His language, Dick said, was awful. He cursed
me and all belonging to me. He cursed Joyce and
Norah, and Dick himself, and swore to be revenged
on us all, and told Dick that he would balk me of find-
ing the treasure—even if I were to buy up all Ireland,
and if he had to peril his soul to forestall me. Dick
ended his description of his proceedings characteris-
—
tically: ''In fact, he grew so violent, and said such in-
sulting things of you and others, that I had to give
him a good sound thrashing."
" Others " — that meant Norah, of course — good