iven some of his fellow-scramblers a cuff or two, he was set upon
by the boys and country-fellows, and compelled to make an inglorious
retreat with his table, which had been flung down in the scuffle, and had
one of its legs broken. As he retired, the rabble hooted, and Jack,
holding up in derision the pea with which he had out-manoeuvred him,
exclaimed, "I always carry this in my pocket in order to be a match for
vagabonds like you."

The tumult over, Jack gone, and the rabble dispersed, I followed the
discomfited adventurer at a distance, who, leaving the town, went slowly
on, carrying his dilapidated piece of furniture; till, coming to an old
wall by the roadside, he placed it on the ground, and sat down, seemingly
in deep despondency, holding his thumb to his mouth. Going nearly up to
him, I stood still, whereupon he looked up, and perceiving I was looking
steadfastly at him, he said, in an angry tone, "Arrah! what for are you
staring at me so? By my shoul, I think you are one of the thaives who
are after robbing me. I think I saw you among them, and if I were only
sure of it, I would take the liberty of trying to give you a big bating."
"You have had enough of trying to give people a beating," said I; "you
had better be taking your table to some skilful carpenter to get it
repaired. He will do it for sixpence." "Divil a sixpence did you and
your thaives leave me," said he; "and if you do not take yourself off,
joy, I will be breaking your ugly head with the foot of it." "Arrah,
Murtagh!" said I, "would ye be breaking the head of your old friend and
scholar, to whom you taught the blessed tongue of Oilien nan Naomha, in
exchange for a pack of cards?" Murtagh, for he it was, gazed at me for a
moment with a bewildered look; then, with a gleam of intelligence in his
eye, he said, "Shorsha! no, it can't be--yes, by my faith it is!" Then,
springing up, and seizing me by the hand, he said, "Yes, by the powers,
sure enough it is Shorsha agra! Arrah, Shorsha! where have you been this
many a day? Sure, you are not one of the spalpeens who are after robbing
me?" "Not I," I replied, "but I saw all that happened. Come, you must
not take matters so to heart; cheer up; such things will happen in
connection with the trade you have taken up." "Sorrow befall the trade,
and the thief who taught it me," said Murtagh; "and yet the trade is not
a bad one, if I only knew more of it, and had some one to help and back
me. Och