The Irish standard., 1886-06-05

HENsHAw IS SUDDENLY PRESENTED 10
THE READER, AND UNCLE JERRY DIS
COVERED IN THE BorroM OF Boat,
SUPPORTING TIE NEGRO w1rH TIE
BROKEN ToEs.
Castle Gregory, the family seat Of the
Petershams, on the banks Of Tough
Swilly, was an odd-fashioned place az
could be seen anywhere in Ireland or
out OF it. Standing all alone, cold and
bare, against the side Of a mountain, 1t
looked more like Rhenish fortress, OF
soldiers barrack, than a gentleman 8
residence. To the traveller, whether he
approached it by sea or by land, it pre-
sented a bleak ard desolate appearance
! There was neither tree to shelter it from
The storm, nor portico to break the blast
| from the hall door. 1t consisted Of sew
eral piles of buildings, erected at differ
| emit periods, and jumbled together with
out the least ornament or the slight
est regard to congr.ity OF outline. High
| dormer windows and tall brick CHM
news rose nl, in remarkable confusion,
and Sc closely packed together that sill
the swallows and jackdaws Of the parish
| seemed to gather there III She season to
| build their nests. AS to the pleasure
grounds, il indeed they should be
| called: they had neither gate nor stone
! wall to enclose them. All round the
tile place WAS open and bare, indeed,
save g. few acres of green lawn before
the hall door, wi1ere the old sun dial
! stood between the two lions couchant,
there was nothing to be seen any where
| but benz and sand hills. In front OF
the castle, Ballymastocher strand and
rabbit warren stretched away to Rath~
mullen Head, from the brow of which
:Dunrea battery pointed its guns across
the 11arrows OF the firth, and behind it
Sugar Loaf Hill rose up like q pyramid
with it's little coast-guard station and
flag staff on top.
Approaching CASTLE Gregory by water,
| frcm the direction OF Araheera Point, the
immense precipices, which line the
southerl shore, completely hide it from
the travellers view, till he comes within
| IN oars length OF two Of the usual land
ing place. III was or this account, pro-
| bably, that she occupants Of q small
sailing boat, which glided up the chan-
nel tbs e4euing after the painful events
related in the preceding chapter,
| seemed quite unconscious of their near
proximity to the place, for the steers
! man put up his helm, and sent the boat
gheering away in an opposite direction,
just as she had almost touched the nose
OF the quay.
''FIi!loa, there!' exclaimed one OF the
passengers. s'Where away, now? YOU'RE
taking us over to Innishowen, instead OF
Ballymastocker. Pint her about, MAE;
put her about directly"
why, sir, you nust be mistaken, "
said The raan at The ruader.
"Not very likely. After boating
about here nearly every week of my life
for the lost fifteen years. I should know
the lay of the land at least.''
''Well, there is Dougmora, where You
see the smoke, and there's Buncrana---''
"N;onsense, sir; don't you see the
spars Of tue Water Hen here over the
rock behind us: Round with her, sir,
an0 let us ashore
"Regorra, I believe YOU'RE right,
muttered, che skipper, giving the helm
- jerk when he saw his mistake. f'Yon
are perfectly right, Father John~-what
in the world could / be thinkin OFF,
"5ome deviltry, I suppose shat
you're always thinking off,
80, don't be SO hard ON me, yer riv-
erince; yen can't expect any one TO know
the place as we'll as yourself, after
cruisin about here On sick calls so many
years.
ssHut, tut, sir; you're a pretty pilot,to
carry us through these rocks and cur
rents,1 continued the priest, in half
bantering, he]f-serious tone. eff you
knew only half as much about plotting
as you do about poaching, you wouldn't
be amiss. There now~-take care Of the
shoals here, steady that, steady; and the
tide will set us into the basin.''
When the boat touched the ground,
the steersman stepped ashore, and drew
mp her bows as fur as he was able on the
hard beach, Gor it seemed the regular
landing place at that time of tide was
rather inconvenient for that purpose
and then prepared to land his passen-
gers.
"Lane on me, yer riverince, !" said he,
rs the priest stood with his foot on the
gunwale, ready to jump; flame on me,
the shores rough
eyes; lean on you, till You break my
L 4 Il. ~>G