re is, however, a tolerably good hotel in the place, and we at
present beg to take our reader with us into the largest room therein,
which was usually dignified by the name of the Ball Room. It was not,
however, by any means dedicated solely to the worship of Terpsichore:
all the public dinners eaten in Carrick were eaten here; all the
public meetings held in Carrick were held here; all the public
speeches were spoken here. Here committees harangued; Gallagher
ventriloquised; itinerant actors acted; itinerant concert-givers held
their concerts; itinerant Lancashire bell-ringers rang their bells.
Here also were carried on the mysteries of the Carrick-on-Shannon
masonic lodge, with all due zeal and secrecy.

On the present occasion the room was, or rather had been, devoted
to the purpose of feeding; an ordinary had been held here previous
to the races; and most of those who were in any way interested in
the coming event were there. The cloth had been just taken away,
decanters of whiskey and jugs of boiling water alternated each other
down the table, and large basins of white sugar were scattered about
unsparingly. The party were evidently about to enjoy themselves.
There were about thirty of them there, some of them owners of horses,
some of them riders, some of them backers; the rest were eaters,
drinkers, and spectators.

The chair was filled by Major McDonnell, one of the stewards--a
little man, who had probably never crossed a horse himself, and had
nothing of the sportsman about him. He had, however, lately inherited
an estate in the neighbourhood, and having some idea of standing for
the county on the Tory interest at the next election, was desirous of
obtaining popularity, and had consequently given forty pounds to be
run for--had agreed to wear a red coat at the races, and call himself
a steward--sit at the top of the table and carve for thirty hungry
sportsmen to-day, with each of whom he had to drink wine--and get
partners for all the ugly girls, if there be any in County Leitrim,
on the morrow. This was certainly hard work; in reward for which he
was probably destined to have his head broken at the next election,
if he should have sufficient courage to show himself as a Tory
candidate for the county.

There, however, he sat on this day, very unfit to take the chief part
among the spirits by whom he was surrounded.

Opposite to him, at the other end of the room, sat our big and
burly friend, McKeon, a very