lled one of the pack on purpose, we wouldn't cut the very heart o'
you with our hunting whips?"

"Faith, I wouldn't doubt you, sir; but, sure, how could I help that
divil of a mare runnin' away wid me, and thramplin' the dogs?"

"Why didn't you hold her, you thief?"

"Hould her, indeed!--you just might as well expect to stop fire among
flax as that one."

"Well, be off with you now, Andy, and take care of what I gave you for
the squire."

"Oh, never fear, sir," said Andy, as he turned his horse's head
homewards. He stopped at the apothecary's in the village, to execute
his commission for the "misthis." On telling the son of Galen that he
wanted some physic "for one o' the childre up at the big house," the
dispenser of the healing art asked _what_ physic he wanted.

"Faith, I dunna what physic."

"What's the matter with the child?"

"He's sick, sir."

"I suppose so, indeed, or you wouldn't be sent for medicine, you're
always making some blunder. You come here, and don't know what
description of medicine is wanted."

"Don't I?" said Andy, with a great air.

"No, you don't, you omadhaun!" said the apothecary.

Andy fumbled in his pockets, and could not lay hold of the paper his
mistress entrusted him with, until he had emptied them thoroughly of
their contents upon the counter of the shop; and then, taking the
prescription from the collection, he said, "So you tell me I don't know
the description of the physic I'm to get. Now, you see, you're out; for
_that's_ the _description_!" and he slapped the counter impressively
with his hand as he threw down the recipe before the apothecary.

While the medicine was in the course of preparation for Andy, he
commenced restoring to his pockets the various parcels he had taken
from them in hunting for the recipe. Now, it happened that he had laid
them down close beside some articles that were compounded, and sealed
up for going out, on the apothecary's counter: and as the law process
which Andy had received from Murtough Murphy chanced to resemble in
form another inclosure that lay beside it, containing a blister, Andy,
under the influence of his peculiar genius, popped the blister into his
pocket instead of the package which had been confided to him by the
attorney, and having obtained the necessary medicine from M'Garry, rode
home with great self-complacency that he had not forgot to do a single
thing that had been entrusted to him. "I'm all right this time," said
An