t we just looked at our guest without
understanding a word he said.

Jamie opened up another line of inquiry.

"Th' say yer a terrible liar, Hughie."

"I am that," Hughie said without the slightest hesitation. "I'm th'
champ'yun liar ov County Anthrim."

"How did ye get th' belt?"

"Aisy, as aisy as tellin' th' thruth."

"That's harder nor ye think."

"So's lyin', Jamie!"

"Tell us how ye won th' champ'yunship."

"Whin I finish this dhraw."

He took a live coal and stoked up the bowl of his old cutty-pipe. The
smacking of his lips could have been heard at the mouth of Pogue's
entry. We waited with breathless interest. When he had finished he
knocked the ashes out on the toe of his brogue and talked for nearly an
hour of the great event in which he covered himself with glory.

It was a fierce encounter according to Hughie, the then champion being a
Ballymena man by the name of Jack Rooney. Jack and a bunch of vagabonds
sat on a stone pile near Ballyclare when Hughie hove in sight. The
beggar-man was at once challenged to divest himself of half his clothes
or enter the contest. He entered, with the result that Ballymena lost
the championship! The concluding round as Hughie recited it was as
follows:

"I dhruv a nail throo th' moon wanst," said Jack.

"Ye did, did ye," said Hughie, "but did ye iver hear ov the maan that
climbed up over th' clouds wid a hammer in his han' an' clinched it on
th' other side?"

"No," said the champion.

"I'm him!" said Hughie.

"I'm bate!" said Jack Rooney, "an' begobs if I wor St. Peether I'd kape
ye outside th' gate till ye tuk it out agin!"

Anna returned with a blanket rolled up under her arm. She gave Hughie
his choice between sleeping in Jamie's corner among the lasts or
occupying the pigsty. He chose the pigsty, but before he retired I
begged Anna to ask him about the Banshee.

"Did ye ever really see a Banshee, Hughie?"

"Is there aanythin' a champ'yun liar haasn't seen?" Jamie interrupted.

"Aye," Hughie said, "'deed there is, he niver seen a maan who'd believe
'im even whin he was tellin' th' thruth!"

"That's broth for your noggin', Jamie," Anna said. Encouraged by Anna,
Hughie came back with a thrust that increased Jamie's sympathy for him.

"I'm undther yer roof an' beholdin' t' yer kindness, but I'd like t' ax
ye a civil quest'yun if I may be so bowld."

"Aye, go on."

"Did ye blow a farmer's brains out in th' famine fur a pint ov milk?"

"It's a