The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-13

| Although only one living man OF his
own free will ever went among them
there, still, any well-learned person in
ireland can tell you that the abode OF
| the Good People is in the hollow heart OF
| the great mountain Sleive-namon. That
same one man was Darby O'Gill, a cousin
of my other mother.
Right and left, generation after genera
ton, the fairies had stolen pigs, young
children, old women, young men, cows
Cummings of butter from other people,
but had never bothered any of our klth
or kin, until, for some mysterious rayson,
they soured on Darby, and took the eld-
lest of his three foine pigs.
The next week second pig went the
same way. The third week not thing
had Darby left for the Balinrobe fair.
You may aisly think how sore and sorry
the poor man was, an how Bridget, als
wife, an the childher carried on The
rent was due, an all left was to sell his
COW Rosie to pay it. Rosie was the apple
of his eye; he admired and RESPECTED the
pigs, but he loved Rosie.
Worst luck of all was yet to come. On
the morning when Darby went for the
cow to bring her into market, bad scrans
to the hoof was there; but in her place
only a wisp dirty straw to mock him.
Mile murther! What a howlin' and
creechin' and cursin' did Darby bring
back to the house!
Fairy or no fairy, ghost or goblin liv-
in or dead, who took Rosie'll rue the
day." he says.
With those wild words he boulted in
the direction of Sleive-na-mon.
All day long he climbed like an ant
over the HILL looking for hole or cave
through which he could get at the prison
of Rosie. At times he struck the rocks
with his blackthorn, cryin' out challenge.
No one made answered. least, not just
then. But at night, as he turned, hun
cry and footsore, toward home,7 who
should he meet up with on the crossroads
but the ould fairy doctor, Sheelah Ma
guire; well known was she as a spy tor
the Good People. She spoke up:
''Oh, then, you re the foolish, blunderin'
headed man to be saying what you've
said and doing whatyouve done this day.
Darby O'GilI,' says she.
what do I care!' says he, fiercely I'D
fight the devil for my beautiful cow
''Then go into Mrs. Hagan's meadow
beyant," says Sheelah, "and walt till the
moon is up. BY an by ye'll see herd of
cows coming down from the mountain
and yer own'll be among them
what I'll do then?' asked Darby, his
voice trembling with excitement.
"Sorra a hair I care what We do! But
there'll be lads there, and hundreds you
won't see, that'l stand no i'll words, Oar
by O'Gill"
nm a
by, as Sheelah was moving away. How
late in the night will they stay wthout?"S
Sheelah caught him by the collar and,
pulling his head close, whispered:
when the cock crows the Good People
must be safe at home. After cock-crow
they have no power to help or to hurt and
every mortal eye can see them plain
1t was dark night when Darby stretch
ed himself on the ground in Hagan's
meadow; the yellow rim of the moon just
tipped the edge of the hills.
To creep quiet as cat through the
hedge and raich the first cow was only a
minute S. work. Then his plan to wait till
cock-crow with all other sober, sensible
thoughts went clane out of the lads head
before his rage; for cropping eagerly the
long, sweet grass, the first haste he met
was Rosie.
With leap Darby was behind her,
his stick falling sharply on her TANKS
The ingratichude of that cow almost broke
Darby's heart. Rosie turned fercely on
him with a vicious lunge, her two horns
aimed at his breast. There was no sup
pier boy in the parish than Darby, and
we'll for him it was so, for the mad rush
the COW gave would have caught any
man the Taste trifle heavy on his legs
and ended his days right there.
AS it was, our hayro sprang to one side.
AS Rosie passed his left hand gripped
her tail. When one of the 0'Gills takes
hold of a thing he hangs on like bull
terrier.
Now began a race, the like of which
was never heard of before or since. Ten
jumps to the second and a hundred feet
TO the jump, Roses tail standing straight
up IN the air, firm as an iron bar, and
Darby floating straight out behind;
thousand furious fairies flying a short
distance after. filling the air with wild
commands and threatenings.
Suddenly the sky opened for a crash of
lightning that shivered the hills, and
roar of thunder that turned out of their
beds every man, woman and child in four
Countries. Flash after flash came the
lightning, hitting on every side of our
hayro. If il wasn't for fear of hurting
Rosie the fairies would certainly have
killed Darby.
AS the cow turned into the long, mar
low valley which cuts into the east side
OF the mountain the Good People caught
up with the pair, and what they didn't do
to Darby in the line of sticking pins,
pulling whiskers and pinching wouldn't
take long to tell In troth, he was just
about to let go his hould and take the
chances of q fall when the hillside opened
and-whisk! the COW turned into the
mountain Darby found himself flying
down wide, high passage, which grew
lighter as ne went along. He heard the
opening behind shut like trap, and his
heart almost stopped beating, for this was
the fairies home in the heart of SLEEVE
na-mon. He was captured by them!
When Rosie stopped so stiff where all
Darbys points that be had great trouble
l1osening himself to come down. He
landed among lot of angry-faced little
people, each no higher. than your hand,
every one wearing a green velvet cloak
and a red cap, and in every cap was