The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-10-10

nOly snow or Mlcky himself before half
the boys. She was bent on an ass, an
ass she'd have, and it had ended in
her having her say and in bringing
home the grandest little haste in the
fair, as they could all see wild their own
two eyes"
Early the next morning Micky Sulli-
van yoked his new investment to the
car, and set off briskly to the bog in
order to cut turf The sultry fore
noon gradually developed into a thick
gray mist and, finally. an angry down
pour. At first Micky and Thady Flynn,
being Kerry men, paid no attention to
the elements, but at length they were
both compelled to shelter at the lee side
of turf clamp, where, with sack
over his shoulders and dhudeen in
his mouth Micky made the best of cir
cumstances He and Flynn discussed
the fair, the fishing, the potato spray,
the last Land Act and the prospects of
Cork Park races.
An talking of racing, Micky, 7 sup
pose there's no chance of your young
year-old taking the road of his own
accord?" asked Flynn rather anxiously
mot at all! In the first place, 1
have him tethered with bit av a
suggawn; besides, he has as much
sense as an old man"
We'll, it would be hard to bate old
Jerry for cuteness; he was a great ass
in his day.
e was SO, but he was getting foun-
dered in the feet and shabby in the
coat, an an eyesore to herself, so L
had to get shut av him, an 1 was main
sorry, for Matty and him was reared
together-and always had a wish for
the haste. Well, maybe we'd better
be making a push for home now. The
new little chap may be getting unaisy
in himself standing so long in the pour
ing rain" And MicI1y, with some diff
Guilty, got upon his legs, drew the sack
over his head and hobbled stiffiy away
to where he had left his yoke.
Yes, there indeed was the cart, but
where was the new chap, the gay little
brown donkey?
Micky stared in appalled, silence, then
pinched himself vigorously, finally
turned fiercely to his companion, and
shouted in hoarse, tremulous voice:
| Now, what pistrouge is this? What
old witch has been casting spells on
me grand new ass? What do you call
yon beast, Thady Flynn?"
Fax, av L didn't know that l was
sober, an av I hadn't me swim senses,
I'd call him ould Jerry. An may I
never, if he doesn't know his nane!' he
| added in an aweStruck key
tbs some biaggard as has gone and
robbed me-" shouted Mickey; taken off
hea
old God help usi IT'S either that. or
the fairies! I'm thinking
AN I'm thinking as it is the tinker
as has been playing his little tricks on
We ag'in. Sure, they are the greatest
horse copers in the wide world See
how well he has pared and shod the
ould ones hoofs and filled his teeth
and fed him up, an, an" with a yell
of laughter, painted him. But the
paint wouldn't wash, ye see. Look how
it has all run off av him, as if he was
three-penny Calico" and he held UP
his hand covered with a dark brown
stain.
"Oh, mother av Mosesl What sort
of thievery do We call this?" screamed
Mickey, now rubbing the donkey's thick
| coat with the same result.
'Begor, them tinkers is too clever to
live!" exclaimed Thady with another
violent outburst ''They took in a DOW
er besides yerself Sure not one in
Thady's Corner but thought he was
new haste, and them acquainted with
Jerry this twenty year, Holy smoke!
but it's as elegant a joke as I've come
across this many a day"
| Tis fine to be you, roaring and
bawling and staggering there; sure, I'll
be the laughing stock of the barony,
and what will herself say?''
Eye wouldn't, now gasping for
breath and drying his eyes on his coat
sleeve, give him another coat av paint,
I suppose" asked Thady in a choked
voice as he hitched up on the car.
/ 'Augh! paint indeed! Don't be talk
in to me av paint" rejoined the other
| furiously, as with a savage bang on
poor Jerry's hide, he ratified away
! homeward
At first he turned a deaf ear to all
his companions sympathy, blandish-
ments and affectionate efforts at conso-
lation; the only thing that could af
| ford him the smallest relief was the
tinker's blood.
Now take it aisy, Mickey, me darl
in" urged his counselor, as they be-
gan to breast the last hill: 'ye had a
good ass yesterday, We have the same
animal to-day. Sure, We never half
valued him afore; with clever shoeing
and few odd looks of hay we won't
know him from ould Jerry, and when
the laugh is raised against you take
my advice and laugh, too, and that
! will soon stop them
| Mrs. Sullivan, when her first shriekS
/ of horror and amazement had sub
sided, received the news with astonish-
| ing fortitude.
"Faix, I misdoubted something was
not right when he turned the chapel
of tragic calm, "but. at the worst,
thought he was fairy
AN I thought it mighty quare when
he made straight for the pigs tub the
moment he was out of the shafts
added Judy, but I never suspicioned
| it was Jerry himself. Obi but those
! tinkers would bate the divil!"
Before night the news of the man
ner of Jerry's return had penetrated
! into every cabin within radius of two
miles, and Mickey Sullivan took Thady
| Flynn's hint and received the grinning
! coincidence of his friends with the
aplomb of a man of the world, made
quite the best of the situation, laughed
| till. as he subsequently expressed it.
| 'he hadn't an eye in his head" and
| dwelt persistently upon the fact that
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