Year: 1874




1t was at, in Yorkshire, that l first
met with my friend the supervisor. Ihad
the pleasure of an evenings conversation
with him, an evening and a morning, as
may say. for we didn't 90 to bed all
that night, and the tots of tOddy reached
total that caused Reason to totter on her
throne. We Were conversing, among
other topics, upon Feuianism, and I re-
marked to my friend the supervise, that
felt little tender in touching on the
theme, for that didn't exactly know, al
though was certain he was Scotchmau
whether he mightn't be an Irishman a,
well. You'll bear in mind that we'd
reached the stage of our "toddy tourna-
ment, which might be termed the melee
Cor the mellow, in the vernacular;' any
how, we were getting mixed in our ideas.


And am not surprised at that same,
said Sandy-for / lived many years in
Ireland, when was just gauger, and /
grew so intimate with the Irish, that
my tongue got twist that it's never re-
covered from to this day. And to tell you
the truth, it was the pleasantest country TO
live in OF all the islands of Great Britain.
Why, man who was Crown officer,
ana had ready-money once quarter, was
aquil to lord, and there was something
In the air of the country that was whole
some to that degree that ye might be drink.
ing whisky all the day, and be never u
penny the worse for it at night. Twas in
a wildish part of the country, up among
the bogs of Tipperary. was just a raw
laddie then, upon my appreciation as 1t
were, and was very active, ye may be
sure, routing about the country hunting
Tor stills and shebeens, searching auld
wives barrels, trying to speer out some
thing that might be feather in my cap,
and bring me speedy promotion. But never
a drop of potheen or the Whit off still
could come across, though they were
swarming about me the whiles.


But one day. as / sat on the top of a bit
hillock looking over the wild country, and
thinking of the braes O. Kirkokyrie, Ispied
a man coming along wee bit track over
the moor, and he was as fou as the laird O.
Craigedarroch.


lie was stranger to the parts. too, and
din't know the face of me, and he came
rolling and sliddering along to where
was sitting.


God save you, friend - said I.


''The s-saint purtect you" said my
friend.


Its the decent drop o liquor you get
up there beyant."


''Be ME soul, it is"


''And it's decent gossoon that sells
it," went on.


"Indeed, he is,''


"Will there be drop left in the jug up
beyant ?"


"There's lathings of it,


same ?'


Indeed l would"


Then I'll be for treating you, friend"
and linked my arm with his. and away
we went over hill and dale, while we came
to a lone hut in bit hag or dingld. where
there was reek Of peet smoke and bit
of bummling noise that was the poor fel-
lows inside singing Well. my friend gave
sort of countersign that | couldn't see
the trick of. and he and both walked in
and sot down on heap of turfs by the
floor, and called for the potheen. and |
paid for it, and never a one of them was
the wiser. But they hadn't got the still
there. found that out it was up among
the bogs somewhere, and l was hoping
they'd let drop somethn that'd give me a
line to where it was, when al of a:sudden
there dropped little mana grocer from
the town, and the shine from the door as
it opened upon me lit up my face, and in
the surprise of the moment he sang out.


Lads, ye've got the gauger among ye."


There was great kish Of turf just be-
hind me, and before could stir hand,
somebody had clapped it over me like
an extinguisher, and what with the
dust of the turf, and wheen few trifes
that was among it, and the reek and the
stink. didn't come to my senses for
minute or two; and when popped my
head out of the basket, never soul was
there but the old grandmother snoring
away in her old chair by the fire.


CONTINUED TOMORROW