, snug under the tombstone, and went his
way down the hill, resting in Shanagolden that night, to see what
would come of it in the morning.

Owney-na-peak had not been more than two or three hours or so lying
down, when he heard the very same noises coming up the hill, that had
puzzled Owney the night before. Seeing the cats enter the churchyard,
he began to grow very uneasy, and strove to hide himself as well as he
could, which was tolerably well too, all being covered by the
tombstone excepting part of the nose, which was so long that he could
not get it to fit by any means. You may say to yourself, that he was
not a little surprised, when he saw the cats all assemble like a
congregation going to hear mass, some sitting, some walking about, and
asking one another after the kittens and the like, and more of them
stretching themselves upon the tombstones, and waiting the speech of
their commander.

Silence was proclaimed at length, and he spoke: 'Now all you cats of
this great county, small and large, gray, red, yellow, black, brown,
mottled, or white, attend--'

'Stay! stay!' said a little cat with a dirty face, that just then came
running into the yard. 'Be silent, for there are mortal ears listening
to what you say. I have run hard and fast to say that your words were
overheard last night. I am the cat that sits upon the hob of Owney and
Owney-na-peak, and I saw a bottle of the water of Barrygowen hanging
up over the chimbley this morning in their house.'

In an instant all the cats began screaming, and mewing, and flying, as
if they were mad, about the yard, searching every corner, and peeping
under every tombstone. Poor Owneyna-peak endeavoured as well as he
could to hide himself from them, and began to thump his breast and
cross himself, but it was all in vain, for one of the cats saw the
long nose peeping from under the stone, and in a minute they dragged
him, roaring and bawling, into the very middle of the churchyard,
where they flew upon him all together, and made _smithereens_ of him,
from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet.

The next morning very early, young Owney came to the churchyard, to
see what had become of his cousin. He called over and over again upon
his name, but there was no answer given. At last, entering the place
of tombs, he found his limbs scattered over the earth.

'So that is the way with you, is it?' said he, clasping his hands, and
looking down on the bloody fragments;