ons.

"Away we go, my boys," shouted O'Driscoll, and to the astonishment of
our guard we struck our spurs into the sides of our mules, and off we
galloped, each by a separate road, or rather track, for road, properly
so-called, there was none. We had agreed to reunite after riding on for
twenty minutes or so, but we forgot that such a determination might not
be so easily accomplished as designed. Our black guard pulled up,
shouting lustily, and tugging at and scratching his woolly locks,
uncertain in which direction to pursue us. In vain he shouted, and
shrieked, and swore. The extraordinary mixture of nigger and French
oaths in which he gave vent to his fury had no effect on us. He might
as well have tried to stop a fly-away eagle with them. We turned round
and shook our hands and laughed at him. After going on for a little
time I discovered that he did not pursue me, so when my mule began to
show signs of fatigue I pulled up and rode on leisurely. Not long
after. I heard a tramping behind me, and expected to find that it was
the negro, but on looking back I made out O'Driscoll in chase of me. I
having accordingly hove-to, he came up to me, laughing heartily.

"Well, faith, we have clean done the niggers!" he exclaimed. "We may
now ride on leisurely and see what fortune has in store for us. I
intend to throw care to the dogs and to forget that I am a prisoner of
war. What's the use of moaning and groaning, and sighing and dying?
But oh, Molly Malone! Molly Malone, what will ye do when ye hear that
your own faithful Patrick may chance to be kept so many long years away
from you? Ay, there's the rub, Hurry. Now you, you happy fellow, don't
care for anybody. It's all the same to you where you may be, but should
Molly, now, think I was never coming back and go and marry some one
else, it would be a bitter pill to swallow."

Paddy went on conjuring up all sorts of melancholy pictures in which
Miss Molly Malone played a conspicuous part, till his feelings fairly
got the better of him and he began to blubber outright. This was too
much. I doubt not the Burgundy helped the tears to flow. My own
feelings and thoughts I kept to myself and did my best to comfort him,
and in another three minutes he was roaring at the top of his voice with
laughter.

"Hillo, what's that ahead? A stately mansion, as I am a gentleman!" he
exclaimed, as a red-tiled building of a single storey appeared before
us. "We'll go an