wing up his arm, "I beg your pardon
for a moment."

O'Grady involuntarily lowered his weapon, and seeing Dick standing
perfectly erect, and nothing following his sudden request for this
suspension of hostilities, asked, in a very angry tone, why he had
interrupted him. "Because I saw you had me covered," said Dick, "and
you'd have hit me if you had fired that time: now fire away as soon as
you like!" added he, at the same moment rapidly bringing up his own
pistol to the level.

O'Grady was taken by surprise, and fancying Dick was going to blaze at
him, fired hastily, and missed his adversary.

Dick made him a low bow, and fired in the air.

O'Grady wanted another shot, saying Dawson had tricked him, but
Scatterbrain felt the propriety of Edward O'Connor's objection to
further fighting, after Dawson receiving O'Grady's fire; so the
gentlemen were removed from the ground and the affair terminated.

O'Grady, having fully intended to pink Dick, was excessively savage at
being overreached, and went off to the election with a temper by no
means sweetened by the morning's adventure, while Dick roared with
laughing, exclaiming at intervals to Edward O'Connor, as he was putting
up his pistols, "Did not I _do_ him neatly?"

Off they cantered gaily to the high road, exchanging merry and cheering
salutations with the electors, who were thronging towards the town in
great numbers and all variety of manner, group, and costume, some on
foot, some on horseback, and some on cars; the gayest show of holiday
attire contrasting with the every-day rags of wretchedness; the fresh
cheek of health and beauty making gaunt misery look more appalling, and
the elastic step of vigorous youth outstripping the tardy pace of feeble
age. Pedestrians were hurrying on in detachments of five or six--the
equestrians in companies less numerous; sometimes the cavalier who could
boast a saddle carrying a woman on a pillion behind him. But saddle or
pillion were not an indispensable accompaniment to this equestrian duo,
for many a "bare-back" _garran_ carried his couple, his only harness
being a halter made of a hay-rope, which in time of need sometimes
proves a substitute for "rack and manger," for it is not uncommon in
Ireland to see the _garran_ nibbling the end of his bridle when
opportunity offers. The cars were in great variety; some bore small
kishes,[23] in which a woman and some children might be seen; others had
a shake-down of clean straw to