Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-08-27


II only going to say that We mustn't be stayn'
10 late at Fethard that yell have to be takn' the
Ihort cut home through Hagans meadow afther dark.
Ye know they do be sayin' that most army night now
re see lights moving round In the ruined abbey
where the crooks O. goold are hid"
"What put the crooks O. goold Until yer head?"
asked Darby, suspiciously.
Didn't Mrs. OHara tell me only last night that
ye put the challenge on her Dominic to 60 huntn'
for thimg
"Huh Dominic o'FIara! We hear ducks talkin'!
That out Of the bottom of the fourth glass
of punch Haven't We amy thing sinsibe to say,
me good. woman?
Faith, I have, an it's this: If We should meet
up with that bligsard Bothered Bill Donohue, the
tinker'-Bridget wagged warning fnger-"have
civty for him he'll be wantn' to come back with
ye to spind the night
The three counties in Fethard by the time
Darby reached the old town gate, and from that
it was slap on the shoulder here, and bonecrush
ing hand shake there, and "God save ye Darby, me
bouchal everywhere, that the afternoon come
and gone before the busy lad could spare thought
for any of Brdgets commissions But through all
constant worry in the mans mind for whichever
way he turned the sharp gray eye Of Bothered Bill
Donohue the tinker, followed him from place to
place.
bad luck to him. muttered Darby, ruefully "if
bring the thieving bliggard home wild me Brdgetn
Ekiver the two of us Whist! | know what ill DO,
of sight an whn the rover's gone I'll whip over to
Dugan's an Until the back dure with me-"
No said than done When at last he ven
Etured and poked cautious head in at the back
door Of Dugan's shop well-known voice hailed him:
"Come in Darby ashore, I've been waitin for ye
this half hour. I'll be gon' home wild ye the night
I'm thinkin'. to give We a hand wild the bundles"
And there, sitting calmly upturned tub, lolled
Bothered Bill Donohue, the tinker
The two were the last at the market.
AS the two men went stumbling along the dark
road Darby was thinking "By the Twin farmer
to dig for the goold an I'll him to come over an
help me- An whn he rayfuges meas of course he
will-I'll sind him on to Bridget, an it's meselr
wouldn't be in his brogues thin for tin shllings"
Just then Bill spoke up as il vaguely divinng what
was in his companions mind my, but ye're the
bould man, Darby oGill! They We're sayin' all over
the market today what courageous hayro We
to be goin' wild Dominic O'Hara afther the crooks o.
goold in the oud abbey"
"Well, tell We, Bill" he staggered. "I'm at loss
about takin' that same Dominic O'Hara; he has no
control over his long tongue than If it be-
longed to yersef and the wurruld knows that i
amy much munitions pious wurrud
while he's dggn' for thin crooks O goold, in
twinkle he may be turned into a big yellow OK or
into bit of a starved wran. Now We know yerself,
BILL that while Dominic is nice, dacint man wild
the best intintions he has big fault; We nver
know whn he's goin to rip out wild God save We
koindly Saints presarve u.s. Now it's what l
thinkn' about yersef Bill; We niver said pous
"Bad luck to me if I'll do it." Interrupted Bill,
promptly.
It'll be midnight be the time We reach
Dominic O'Hara go diggin for himself, an me an
you'll 60 pardners"
The offer was like sousing Bill with tub Of cold
water. He stood still in the road and shivered.
..sthop J" he choked aTheres nayther luck nor grace
in talkin that kind O. talk!
"Ill go into the meadow here Darby continued
calmly, IAN do you, Bill kape steady on yer way an
yell be all SAFE" The words spoken to the
darkness for Bill had disappeared
If the ground in Hagan's meadow had been covered
with redhot Goals instead Of being carpeted with
COOL sweet grass, Darby OGills feet would not have
shrunk more from coming in contact with It, How
ever, Bothered Bill was not to be trusted he might
y be watching and listening in the darkness few
feet down the road, there nothing left for it.
and Darby, bracing his soul, took the Jump and ran
a few steps into the haunted field
He Stood striving with every vein Of his body to
make out whether the glimmer Of light IN the dis
friendly star, when there came pounding toward
him through the darkness sound of terror-the
quick fall Of pursuing footsteps.
There weren't three men in the barony that could
throw quicker leg before them than Darby OGll,
and never before that night had he put such speed
into his nimble heels But, fast he went, the
thuddng footsteps behind gained him every secoud
Suddenly he was electrified by the most terrible cry
he had ever heard 1t strange voice in wild,
high shrek, calling his name:
"Da-arby, Daarby O'Gill" it walled.
"Its the black headless joint from Croag Mah,"
thought Darby "and great gorgondies how did it get
And that would have been a mystery for the seven
counties only that just then the moon stuck its head
through the clouds and took auerulous peep at the
stiffened every nerve and muscle in his body
with angry an1azement; for from whom had he been
cunning but from Bothered Bill Donohue.
"Darby! Da-arby! where We, Darrby?" bleated
Bill Terror had split the nkers voice into piping
fasetto.
At the sound every shred Of Darbys fear turned
Into white rage.
"The dvil mend vel" shouted Darby "Come back
ill bate the loife out Of ye outrageous villain!
Where are yer bundles? What have We done with
the mackenzie"
But Bill ran on, deaf with terror. and Darby fol
lowed The horse that won the Curragh Cup would
have been proud of their company that night.
"Millia murdher, the Omadhaun's maxim straight
for the fairies bush" painted Darby. Come back !"
he roared Then strange thing happened. Darby
the tinker throw up both arms. and, with
despairng disappear from the face of the earth
ancient clump Of hazel trees, known far and wide as