Page 312 - The snake's pass

300 — — THE snake's pass. —
corncrake. You yelled fit to wake the dead. I would
have thought the contrast "between an ordinary night
and the day you are going to have would have been
sufficient to satisfy anyone without such an addition to
its blackness." Then he sung out in his rich voice t
" Och, Jewel, kape dhramin' that same till ye die,
For bright mornin' will give dirty night the black lie."
We sat down to breakfast, and I am bound to say, from
the trencher experience of that meal, that there is nothing
so fine as an appetiser for breakfast, as a good preliminary
nightmare.
We drove off to Knockcalltecrore. When we got to
the foot of the hill we stopped as usual. Andy gave me
a look which spoke a lot, but he did not say a single
word—for which forbearance I owed him a good turn.
Dick said:
" I want to go round to the other side of the hill,
and shall cross over the top. I shall look you up, if
I may, at Joyce's about two o'clock."
"All right," I said; "we shall expect you," and I
started up the hill.
When I got to the gate, and opened it, there was a
loud, deep barking, which, however, was instantly stilled.
I knew that Norah had tied up the mastiff, and I went
to the door. I had no need to knock; for as I came
near, it opened, and in another instant Norah was in
my arms. She whispered in my ear when I had kissed
her :