thy priest, mopping his forehead with a huge
pocket-handkerchief and blowing like a rhinoceros.

'Ugh!' said he at length, 'I have been running up and down the roads
this half-hour after you, and there's not a puff left in me.'

'Ah, father! I hoped to have seen you at the inn.' 'Whisht! I darn't.
I thought I'd do it better my own way; but, see now, we've no time to
lose. I knew as well as yourself you never intended to ride this race.
No matter; don't say a word, but listen to me. I know the horse better
than any one in these parts; and it isn't impossible, if you can keep
the saddle over the first two or three fences, that you may win. I say,
if you can--for 'faith it's not in a "swing-swong" you'll be! But, come
now, the course was marked out this evening. Burke was over it before
dinner; and, with a blessing, we will be before supper. I've got a
couple of hacks here that'll take us over every bit of it; and perhaps
it is not too much to say you might have a worse guide.'

''Faith, your reverence,' chimed in the groom, 'he'd find it hard to
have a better.'

Thanking the kind priest for his good-natured solicitude, I followed him
out upon the road, where the two horses were waiting us.

'There, now,' said he, 'get up; the stirrups are about your length. He
looks a little low in flesh, but you'll not complain of him when he's
under you.'

The next moment we were both in the saddle. Taking a narrow path that
led off from the highroad, we entered a large tilled field; keeping
along the headlands of which, we came to a low stone wall, through a gap
of which we passed, and came out upon an extensive piece, of grassland,
that gently sloped away from where we were standing to a little stream
at its base, an arm of that which supplied the mill.

'Here, now,' said the priest, 'a little to the left yonder is the start.
You come down this hill; you take the water there, and you keep along
by Freney's house, where you see the trees there. There's only a small
stone wall and a clay ditch between this and that; afterwards you turn
off to the right. But, come now, are you ready? We'll explore a bit.'

As he spoke, the good priest, putting spurs to his hackney, dashed on
before me, and motioning me to follow, cantered down the slope. Taking
the little mill-stream at a fly, he turned in his saddle to watch my
performance.

'Neat! mighty neat!' cried he, encouraging me. 'Keep your hand a little
low. The next is a wall----'