gabond has made," said the squire. "Come
here, you sir!" he shouted to Andy. Now Andy at this moment stood
trembling under the angry eye of Dick the Devil, who, having detected a
bit of lead on the point of the pricker, guessed in a moment Andy had
been at work, and the unfortunate rascal, from the furious look of
Dick, had a misgiving that he _had_ made some blunder. "Why don't you
come here when I call you?" said the squire. Andy laid down the
pistol-case, and sneaked up to the squire. "What did you do with the
letter Mr. Murphy gave you for me yesterday?"

"I brought it to your honour."

"No, you didn't," said Murphy. "You've made some mistake."

"Divil a mistake I made," answered Andy, very stoutly. "I wint home the
minit you gev it to me."

"Did you go home direct from my house to the squire's?"

"Yis, sir, I did--I went direct home, and called at Mr. M'Garry's by
the way for some physic for the childre."

"That's it!" said Murtough; "he changed my enclosure for a blister
there; and if M'Garry has only had the luck to send the bit o'
parchment to O'Grady, it will be the best joke I've heard this month of
Sundays."

"He did! he did!" shouted Tom Durfy; "for don't you remember how
O'Grady was after M'Garry this morning?"

"Sure enough," said Murtough, enjoying the double mistake. "By dad!
Andy, you've made a mistake this time that I'll forgive you."

"By the powers o' war!" roared Dick the Devil; "I won't forgive him
what he did now, though. What do you think?" said he, holding out the
pistols, and growing crimson with rage, "may I never fire another shot,
if he hasn't crammed a brace of bullets down the pistols before I
loaded them; so no wonder you burned prime, Ned."

There was a universal laugh at Dick's expense, whose pride in being
considered the most accomplished regulator of the duello was well
known.

"Oh, Dick, Dick! you're a pretty second!" was shouted by all.

Dick, stung by the laughter, and feeling keenly the ridiculous position
in which he was placed, made a rush at Andy, who, seeing the storm
brewing, gradually sneaked away from the group, and when he perceived
the sudden movement of Dick the Devil, took to his heels, with Dick
after him.

"Hurra!" cried Murphy, "a race--a race! I'll bet on Andy--five pounds
on Andy."

"Done!" said the squire: "I'll back Dick the Divil."

"Tare an' ouns!" roared Murphy, "how Andy runs! Fear's a fine spur."

"So is rage," said the squire. "Dick's h