Page 77 - The snake's pass

THE SECRETS OF THE BOG. 65
an' lines an' magnets an' all kinds of divilments. They
say that Mr. Murdock is goin' from off of his head
ever since he had the law of poor Phelim Joyce. My!
but he's the decent man, that same Mr. Joyce, an*
the Gombeen has been hard upon him."
" What was the law suit ? " I asked.
" All about a sellin' his land on an agreement. Mr.
Joyce borryed some money, an' promised if it wasn't
paid back at a certain time that he would swop lands.
Poor Joyce met wid an accident comin' home with the
money from Galway an' was late, an' when he got home
found that the Gombeen had got the sheriff to sell
up his land on to him. Mr. Joyce thried it in the
Coorts, but now Murdock has got a decree on to him
an' the poor man '11 to give up his fat lands an' take
the Gombeen's poor ones instead."
"That's bad! when has he to give up?"
" Well, I disremember meself exactly, but Mr. Suther-
land will be able to tell ye all about it as ye drive
over in the mornin."
" Where is he now ? I should like to see him ; it
may be my old schoolfellow."
"Troth, it's in his bed he is; for he rises mighty
arly, I can tell ye."
After a stroll through the town (so-called) to finish
my cigar I went to bed also, for we started early.
In the morning, when I came down to my breakfast
I found Mr. Sutherland finishing his. It was my old
schoolfellow ; but from being a slight, pale boy, he had