d Billy. "I'll
have to be up at the office for the bags at six o'clock."

"Faix, you 'll not see Leenane at six o'clock to-morrow."

"Sorra taste of it," muttered another; "there's a sea runnin' outside
now that would swamp a life-boat."

"I'll not lose an illigant situation of six pounds ten a year, and a
pair of shoes at Christmas, for want of a bit of courage," said Billy;
"I'd have my dismissal if I wasn't there as sure as my name is Billy
Traynor."

"And better for you than lose your life, Billy," said one.

"And it's not alone myself I'd be thinking of," said Billy; "but every
man in this world, high and low, has his duties. _My_ duty," added he,
somewhat pretentiously, "is to carry the King's mail; and if anything
was to obstruckt, or impade, or delay the correspondience, it's on me
the blame would lie."

"The letters wouldn't go the faster because you were drowned," broke in
the Corporal.

"No, sir," said Billy, rather staggered by the grin of approval that met
this remark--"no, sir, what you ob-sarve is true; but nobody reflects on
the sintry that dies at his post."

"If you must and will go, I'll give you the yawl," said Craggs; "and I
'll go with you myself."

"Spoke like a British Grenadier," cried Billy, with enthusiasm.

"Carbineer, if the same to you, master," said the other, quietly; "I
never served in the infantry."

"_Tros Tyriusve mihi_," cried Billy; "which is as much as to say,--

"'To storm the skies, or lay siege to the moon,
Give me one of the line, or a heavy dragoon,'

it's the same to me, as the poet says."

And a low murmur of the company seemed to accord approval to the
sentiment.

"I wish you 'd give us a tune, Billy," said one, coaxingly.

"Or a song would be better," observed another.

"Faix," cried a third, "'tis himself could do it, and in Frinch or Latin
if ye wanted it."

"The Germans was the best I ever knew for music," broke in Craggs. "I
was brigaded with Arentschild's Hanoverians in Spain; and they used to
sit outside the tents every evening, and sing. By Jove! how they did
sing--all together, like the swell of a church organ."

"Yes, you're right," said Billy, but evidently yielding an unwilling
assent to this doctrine. "The Germans has a fine national music, and
they 're great for harmony. But harmony and melody is two different
things."

"And which is best, Billy?" asked one of the company.

"Musha, but I pity your ignorance," said Billy, w