Page 297 - The snake's pass

A MIDNIGHT TREASURE HUNT. 285
" ' Here's death and damnation to Black Gombeen !
and the gurgling was heard again.
"
' Come ! now, show me the shpot where yer father
last saw the min ! ' Murdock spoke authoritatively, and
the other responded mechanically, and ran rather than
walked along the side of the hill. Suddenly he stopped.
" ' Here's the shpot ! ' he said, and incontinently tumbled
down.
" ' Git up Wake up !
! ' shouted Murdock in his ear.
But the whiskey had done its work ; the man slept,
breathing heavily and stentoriously, heedless of the storm
and the drenching rain. Murdock gathered a few stones
and placed them together—I could hear the sound as
they touched each other. Then he, too, took a pull at
the bottle, and sat down beside Moynahan. I moved
off a little, and when I came to a whin bush got behind
it for a little shelter, and raising myself looked round.
We were quite close to the edge of the bog, about half
way between Joyce's house and Murdock' s, and well in
on Joyce's land. I was not satisfied as to what Murdock
would do, so I waited.
" Fully an hour went by without any stir, and then I
heard Murdock trying to awaken old Moynahan. I got
down on the ground again and crawled over close to
them. I heard Murdock shake the old man, and
shout in his ear presently the latter awoke, and the
;
Gombeen Man gave him another dose of whiskey. This
seemed to revive him a little as well as to complete his
awakening.