! the idea of being cheated and bamboozled by that one-eyed thief
in the horseman's dress." "Let bygones be bygones, Murtagh," said I; "it
is no use grieving for the past; sit down, and let us have a little
pleasant gossip. Arrah, Murtagh! when I saw you sitting under the wall,
with your thumb to your mouth, it brought to my mind tales which you used
to tell me all about Finn ma-Coul. You have not forgotten Finn-ma-Coul,
Murtagh, and how he sucked wisdom out of his thumb." "Sorrow a bit have
I forgot about him, Shorsha," said Murtagh, as we sat down together, "nor
what you yourself told me about the snake. Arrah, Shorsha! what ye told
me about the snake bates anything I ever told you about Finn. Ochone,
Shorsha! perhaps you will be telling me about the snake once more? I
think the tale would do me good, and I have need of comfort, God knows,
Ochone!" Seeing Murtagh in such a distressed plight, I forthwith told
him over again the tale of the snake, in precisely the same words as I
have related it in the first part of this history. After which I said,
"Now, Murtagh, tit for tat; ye will be telling me one of the old stories
of Finn-ma-Coul." "Och, Shorsha. I haven't heart enough," said Murtagh.
"Thank you for your tale, but it makes me weep; it brings to mind
Dungarvon times of old--I mean the times we were at school together."
"Cheer up, man," said I, "and let's have the story, and let it be about
Ma-Coul and the salmon, and his thumb." "Arrah, Shorsha! I can't. Well,
to oblige you, I'll give it you. Well, you know Ma-Coul was an exposed
child, and came floating over the salt sea in a chest which was cast
ashore at Veintry Bay. In the corner of that bay was a castle, where
dwelt a giant and his wife, very respectable and dacent people, and this
giant, taking his morning walk along the bay, came to the place where the
child had been cast ashore in his box. Well, the giant looked at the
child, and being filled with compassion for his exposed state, took the
child up in his box, and carried him home to his castle, where he and his
wife, being dacent, respectable people, as I telled ye before, fostered
the child and took care of him, till he became old enough to go out to
service and gain his livelihood, when they bound him out apprentice to
another giant, who lived in a castle up the country, at some distance
from the bay.

{The Old Parish Church, Horncastle. (Reproduced from Weir's
"Horncastle."): p276.jpg}