It is a great country entirely--every kind
of fence, gates, ditches, and stone walls, as thick as they can lie.
I'll show you all the course, for I know it well, and tell you the names
of all the gentlemen, and the names of their horses, and their servants;
and I'll bring you where you 'll see the whole race, from beginning to
end, without stirring an inch. Are you going to bet any money?'

'I believe not, Joe; but I'm greatly interested for a friend.'

'And who is he?'

'Captain O'Grady.'

'Master Phil! Tare-an'-ages! are you a friend of Master Phil's? Arrah,
why didn't you tell me that before? Why didn't you mintion his name
to me? Och! isn't myself proud this evening to be with a friend of the
Captain's. See now, what's your name?'

'Hinton,' said I.

'Ay, but your Christian name?'

'They who know me best call me Jack Hinton.'

'Musha! but I'd like to call you Jack Hinton just for this once. Now,
will you do one thing for me?'

'To be sure, Joe; what is it?'

'Make them give me a half-pint to drink your health and the Captain's;
for, faix, you must be the right sort, or he wouldn't keep company with
you. It's just like yesterday to me the day I met him, down at Bishop's
Loch. The hounds came to a check, and a hailstorm came on, and all the
gentlemen went into a little shebeen house for shelter. I was standing
outside, as it may be here, when Master Phil saw me. "Come in, Joe,"
says he; "you 're the best company, and the pleasantest fellow over a
mug of egg-nip." And may I never! if he didn't make me sit down fornint
him at a little table, and drink two quarts of as beautiful flip as
ever I tasted. And Master Phil has a horse here, ye tell me--what's his
name?'

'That, Joe, I am afraid I can't pronounce for you; it's rather beyond my
English tongue; but I know that his colour's grey, and that he has one
cropped ear.'

'That's Moddiridderoo!' shouted Joe, as throwing my portmanteau to
the ground, he seated himself leisurely on it, and seemed lost in
meditation.

'Begorra,' said he at length, 'he chose a good-tempered one, when he was
about it! there never was such a horse foaled in them parts. Ye heard
what he did to Mr. Shea, the man that bred him? He threw him over
a wall, and then jumped after him; and if it wasn't that his
guardian-angel made his leather breeches so strong, he'd have ate him
up entirely! Sure, there's no one can ride him barrin' the man I was
talkin' of.'

'Well, Joe, I believe