ives in the County Galway, in the middle of a bog, and
he has an advantage in that.'

'Oh, I don't value it in the laste,' says the waiver; 'for the last
three score and tin I killed was in a _soft place_.'

'When will you undhertake the job, then?' says the king.

'Let me at him at wanst,' says the waiver.

'That's what I like,' says the king; 'you're the very man for my
money,' says he.

'Talkin' of money,' says the waiver; 'by the same token, I'll want a
thrifle o' change from you for my thravellin' charges.'

'As much as you plaze,' says the king; and with the word, he brought
him into his closet, where there was an owld stockin' in an oak chest,
burstin' wid goolden guineas.

'Take as many as you plaze,' says the king; and sure enough, my dear,
the little waiver stuffed his tin clothes as full as they could howld
with them.

'Now, I'm ready for the road,' says the waiver.

'Very well,' says the king; 'but you must have a fresh horse,' says
he.

'With all my heart,' says the waiver, who thought he might as well
exchange the miller's owld garron for a betther.

And maybe it's wondherin' you are that the waiver would think of goin'
to fight the dhraggin afther what he heerd about him, when he was
purtendin' to be asleep, but he had no sitch notion; all he intended
was,--to fob the goold, and ride back again to Duleek with his gains
and a good horse. But, you see, cute as the waiver was, the king was
cuter still; for these high quolity, you see, is great desaivers; and
so the horse the waiver was put an was larned on purpose; and sure,
the minit he was mounted, away powdhered the horse, and the divil a
toe he'd go but right down to Galway. Well, for four days he was goin'
evermore, until at last the waiver seen a crowd o' people runnin' as
if owld Nick was at their heels, and they shoutin' a thousand murdhers
and cryin', 'The dhraggin, the dhraggin!' and he couldn't stop the
horse nor make him turn back, but away he pelted right forninst the
terrible baste that was comin' up to him, and there was the most
_nefaarious_ smell o' sulphur, savin' your presence, enough to knock
you down; and, faith the waiver seen he had no time to lose, and so he
threw himself off the horse and made to a three that was growin' nigh
hand, and away he clambered up into it as nimble as a cat; and not a
minit had he to spare, for the dhraggin kem up in a powerful rage, and
he devoured the horse body and bones, in less than no tim