Page 38 - The snake's pass

26 THE snake's pass.
was down feet lower nor they was iver known afore, a
boat was found up at the Bealanabrack end that had lay
there for years ; but the niin nor the horses nor the
treasure was never heerd of from that day to this—so
they say," he added, in a mysterious way, and he
renewed his attention to the punch, as if his - tale was
ended.
" But, man alive ! " said McGlown, " that's only a
part. Go on, man dear! an' fenesh the punch after."
" Oh, oh Yes, of course, you want to know the end.
!
Well ! no wan knows the end. But they used to say that
whin the min lift the boat they wint due west, till one
night they sthruck the mountain beyant ; an' that there
they buried the chist an' killed the horses, or rode away
on them. But anyhow, they wor niver seen again ; an' as
sure as you're alive, the money is there in the hill ! For
luk at the name iv it ! Why did any wan iver call it
1 ' ' the Hill
Knockcalltore —an' that's Irish for of the
"
'
Lost Gold —if the money isn't there ?
" Thrue for ye ! " murmured an old woman with a
cutty pipe. " For why, indeed ? There's some people
what won't believe nothin' altho' it's undher their
!
eyes " and she puffed away in silent rebuke to the
spirit of scepticism—which, by the way, had not been
manifested by any person present.
There was a long pause, broken only by one of the old
women, who occasionally gave a sort of half-grunt, half-
sigh, as though unconsciously to fill up the hiatus in
the talk. She was a ' keener ' by profession, and was