The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-28
1ROLlOpE At HIS BEST.
Read This Jolly Story and See
II He Wasn't.
IT'S A IOLLlCKISG IRISH TALE.
Thj 0'COnors Of Castle Con0r, County
Mayo.
ny ANTHoNx TRoLLoPE


country life in Ireland. my first days hunting
there. or the manner in which I passed the even,
ing afterwsrd. Nor shall I ever cease 10 b
grateful for the hospitality which I received
from the O'Conors Of Castle Conor. Ny &C.
quaintance with the family was first made in
the following manner. But before ! begin my
story let me inform my reader that my name Il
Archibald Green.
I had been for a fortnight in Dublin. and va,
about 10 proceed into county Mayo on business
which would occupy me there for some weeks
My headquarters would. I found. be at the town
OF Bsllyglass. and I soon learned that BallyRlass
was nota place In which I should find hotel &C.
commodation Of q luxurious kind or much con-
genial society indigenous TO the place itself.
But you are a hunting man, you say
said old Sir p c." and in that case
you will soon know Tom o'Conor. Tom
won't let you be dull. I'd write
you q letter 10 Tom. only he'll certainly make
you out without my taking the trouble"
1did think at the time that the old baronet
might have written the letter for me, as he had
been q friend Of my fathers In former days; but
he did not. and / started for Ballyglass with no
other introduction to any one in the county than
that contained in Sir P--'s promise that I
should soon know Mr.. Thomas o'Conor.
had already provided myself with a horse,
groom, saddle. and bride, and these sent down.
en- npdnt, that the Ballyglasslans might know
that I was somebody. Perhaps, before I arrived.
Tom O'Conor might learn that a hunting man
was coming into the neighborhood, and might
ind at the inn q polite note intimating that =
bed was at my service at Castle Conor. l had
heard so much Of the free hospitality Of the
Irish gentry as TO imagine that such a thing
might be possible.
But I found nothing Of the kind. Hunting
gentlemen In those days were very common In
county Mayo. and one horse was no great evil
dsnce Of q mans standing in the world. Men
there, as I lea rned afterward. are sought for
themselves quite as much as they are elsewhere.
and though my groom's top boots were neat and
ny horse a very tidy animal, my entry into Bal
lyglass created no sensation whatever.
In about four days after my arrival. when
I was already infinitely disguised with
the little pot house In which I was
forced To stay. and had made up my mind
that the people in county Mayo were a churlish
set, I sent my horse on to q meet Of the fox
hounds. and followed after on an open car.
No one but an erratic fox hunter such as I am
"A fox hunter, I mean, whose lot y has been to
wander about from one pack of hounds to an
other-can understand the melancholy feeling
which a man has when he first intrudes himself.
unknown by any one, among an entirely new
set Of sportsmen. When a stranger falls thus.
as II were. out Of the moon into n hunt, It
Is impossible that men should not stare
at him. and ask who he Ia. And It Is
90 disagreeable to be stared at, and
20 have such questions asked! This
feeling doe. not come upon a man In Leicester
shire or Gloucestershire. where the numbers are
and a stranger or two will always be over
looked. but In small hunting fields 1t Is so pain
full that q man has to pluck up much courage
before he encounters 10.
We met on the morning In question at Bing-
Grove. There were not above twelve or
fifteen men out. all Of whom, or nearly all. were
to each other. They seemed TO be all
Toms. and Pats, and Larrys. and Micks. I was
done up very knowingly In pink, and thought
that I looked quite the thing; but for two or
three hours nobody noticed me.
had my eyes about me, however. and soon
found out which Of them was Tom O'Conor. He
was a hne-looking fellow. thin and tall. but not
largely made, with a piercing gray eye,
and a beautiful voice for speaking to
\ hound. He had two sons there also,
short, slight fellows. hut exquisite horsemen. 1
already felt that I had a kind OF acquaintance
with the father, but / hardly knew on what
ground tn put In my claim.
We had no sport early In the morning. 1t was
\ cold bleak February day, with occasional
storms OF sleet- We rode from cover to cover.
all In vain. 81 am sorry, sir. that we are to
have such q bad day, as you are a stranger
here" said one gentleman to me. This was
Jack o'Conor. Toms eldest son, my bosom
friend for many q year after. Poor Jackl l
Tear that the amt Estates Court sent
him altogether adrift upon the world.
We may still have run from Poulnaroe, II
he gentleman chooses to come on" said a voice
coming from behind with a sharp trot. 1t was
Tom o'Conor.
Wherever the hounds go, I'll follow" said !.
Then come on to Poulnaroe'' said Mr..
oConor. ! trotted on quickly by his side, and
,efore we reached the cover had managed to
Nip In something about Sir l.
What the deuce said he. "Whatl a friend
d BIZ P-sf why the deuce didn't you tell
No sof What are you doing down heref Where
IRE you staying =" &c.
Al PoulnAroe we found a fox. but before we
I'D so MI oConor had asked mo over 10
castle Conor. And this he did In such a way
'hat there was no possibility OF refus-
ng him-or, l should rather say, of
him. For his Invitation came quite
n the tone of a m