'  The  dogs,'  he  informed  them,  *  would  be  out
huntin'  at  Ballyhale  on  Thursday,  an'  a  power
of  harrses  'd  be  out.  There  were  Jimmy  Casey
and  his  brother,  who  always  owned  something
good.'  He  would  drive  them  out,  and  they
could  look  at  their  leisure.
This  rang  sound,  and  at  six-thirty  on
Thursday  they  started,  leaving  Hannah  Anne

4


50  THE  BOY,  SOME  HORSES,

a  crushed  damsel  upon  the  doorstep,  '  becalse
they  wouldn't  wait  on  the  hot  wather '  until
their  return.
'  Sure,  I  was  up  the  blessid  night,'  she  com-
plained, '  hatin'  the  kittle.  The  want  of  slape
'11  be  in  me  eyes  for  days.'  She  rubbed  these
organs  wearily.  '  An'  the  missus  screechin'  at
five,  an  scoldin'  becaise  I  wint  an'  lay  down  on
me  bed  for  wan  minute'  (these  statements  did
not  seem  to  hang  together).  '  An'  glory  be,
wouldn't  the  bath  have  done  ye  as  well  whin  ye
came  in  ?'  finished  Hannah  Anne,  wiping  a  little
spare  grime  from  her  face  with  the  corner  of
her  ever-useful  apron.
