ld him!"

Now as this address was often made to the cur respecting the pig, when
Mrs. Rooney sometimes wanted a quiet moment in the day, and the pig
didn't like quitting the premises, the dog ran to the corner of the
cabin where the pig habitually lodged, and laid hold of his ear with
the strongest testimonials of affection, which polite attention the pig
acknowledged by a prolonged squealing, that drowned the voices of the
women and Andy together; and now the cocks and hens that were roosting
on the rafters of the cabin were startled by the din, and the crowing
and cackling and the flapping of the frightened fowls, as they flew
about in the dark, added to the general uproar and confusion.

"A--h!" screamed Oonah, "take your hands off me!" as Andy, getting from
under the bed, laid his hand upon it to assist him, and caught a grip
of his cousin.

"Who are you at all?" cried Andy, making another claw, and catching
hold of his mother's nose.

"Oonah, they're murdhering me!" shouted the widow.

The name of Oonah, and the voice of his mother, recalled his senses to
Andy, who shouted, "Mother, mother! what's the matter?" A frightened
hen flew in his face, and nearly knocked Andy down. "Bad cess to you,"
cried Andy, "what do you hit me for?"

"Who are you at all?" cried the widow.

"Don't you know me?" said Andy.

"No, I don't know you; by the vartue o' my oath, I don't; and I'll
never swear again you, jintlemen, if you lave the place and spare our
lives!"

Here the hens flew against the dresser, and smash went the plates and
dishes.

"Oh, jintlemen dear, don't rack and ruin me that way: don't destroy a
lone woman."

"Mother, mother, what's this at all? Don't you know your own Andy?"

"Is it you that's there?" cried the widow, catching hold of him.

"To be sure it's me," said Andy.

"You won't let us be murdhered, will you?"

"Who'd murdher you?"

"Them people that's with you." Smash went another plate. "Do you hear
that?--they're rackin' my place, the villains!"

"Divil a one's wid me at all!" said Andy.

"I'll take my oath there was three or four under the bed," said Oonah.

"Not one but myself," said Andy.

"Are you sure?" said his mother.

"Cock sure!" said Andy, and a loud crowing gave evidence in favour of
his assertion.

"The fowls is going mad," said the widow.

"And the pig's distracted," said Oonah.

"No wonder! the dog's murdherin' him," said Andy.

"Get up, and light the rushlight,