Arthur O'Leary Part 11

"'The same,' cried he, in astonishment.

"'Come, Dan, turn about is fair play. I'll ride the horse for you to-morrow--where you like, and over, what you like--and in reward, you'll let me mount one of the others as far as Killaloe: we'll dine together at the cross roads.'--Here I slipped the mutton from under the tail of my coat.--'Do you say done?'

"'Get upon the gray pony,' was the short rejoinder; and the next moment I was seated on the back of as likely a cob as I ever bestrode.

"My first care was to make myself master of my companion's character, which I did in a very short time, while affecting to disclose my own, watching, with a sharp eye, how each portion of my history told upon him. I saw that he appreciated, with a true horse-dealer's 'onction,'

any thing that smacked of trick or stratagem; in fact, he looked upon all mankind as so many 'screws,' he being the cleverest fellow who could detect their imperfections, and unveil their unsoundness. In proportion as I recounted to him the pranks and rogueries of my boyish life, his esteem for me rose higher and higher; and, before the day was over, I had won so much of his confidence, that he told me the peculiar vice and iniquity of every horse he had, describing with great satisfaction the cla.s.s of purchasers, he had determined to meet with.

"'There is little Paul there,' said he, 'that brown cob, with the cropped ears, there isn't such a trotter in Ireland; but somehow, though you can see his knees from the saddle when he's moving, he'll come slap down with you, as if he was shot, the moment you touch his flank with the spur, and then there's no getting him up again, till you brush his ear with the whip--the least thing does it--he's on his legs in a minute, and not a bit the worse of his performance.'

"Among all the narratives he told, this made the deepest impression on me. That the animal had been taught the accomplishment, there could be no doubt; and I began to puzzle my brain in what way it might best be turned to advantage. It was of great consequence to me to impress my friend at once with a high notion of my powers; and here was an admirable occasion for their exercise, if I only could hit on a plan.

"The conversation turned on various subjects, and at last, as we neared Killaloe, my companion began to ponder over the most probable mode I could be of service to him, on the following day. It was at last agreed upon, that, on reaching town, I should exchange my Petrucio costume for that of a 'squireen,' or half gentleman; and repair to the ordinary at the 'Green-man,' where nearly all the buyers put up, and all the talk on sporting matters went forward. This suited me perfectly, I was delighted to perform a new part, particularly when the filling up was left to my own discretion. Before an hour elapsed after our arrival, I saw myself attired in a very imposing suit--blue coat, cords and tops, that would have fitted me for a very high range of character in my late profession.

O'Kelly was a name, as Pistol says, 'of good report,' and there was no need to change it; so I took my place at the supper-table, among some forty others, comprising a very fair average of the raffs and raps, of the county. The mysteries of horse-flesh, were, of course, the only subject of conversation; and before the punch made its appearance, I astonished the company by the extent of my information, and the acuteness of my remarks.

"I improvised steeple-chases over impossible countries, invented pedigrees for horses yet unfoaled, and threw out such a fund of anecdote about the 'turf' and the 'chace,' that I silenced the old established authorities of the place, and a general buzz went round the table of, 'Who can he be, at all--where did he come from?'

"As the evening wore apace, my eloquence grew warm--I described my stud and my kennel, told some very curious instances of my hunting experience, and when at last a member of the party, piqued at my monopoly of the conversation, endeavoured to turn my flank by an allusion to grouse-shooting, I stopped him at once, by a.s.serting with vehemence, that no man deserved the name of sportsman who shot over dogs--a sudden silence pervaded the company, while the last speaker turning towards me with a malicious grin, begged to know how I bagged my game, for that, in _his_ county, they were ignorant enough to follow the old method.

"'With a pony of course,' said I, finis.h.i.+ng my gla.s.s.

"'A pony!' cried one after the other--how do you mean?'

"'Why,' resumed I, 'that I have a pony sets every species of game, as true as the best pointer that ever 'stopped.'

"A hearty roar of laughing followed this declaration, and a less courageous spirit than mine would have feared that all his acquired popularity was in danger.

"'You have him with you, I suppose,' said a sly old fellow from the end of the table.

"'Yes,' said I carelessly--'I brought him over here to take a couple of days' shooting, if there is any to be had.

"'You would have no objection,' said another insinuatingly, 'to let us look at the beast?'

"'Not the least,' said I.

"'Maybe you'd take a bet on it,' said a third.

"'I fear I couldn't,' said I,--'the thing is too sure--the wager would be an unfair one.'

"'Oh! as to that,' cried three or four together, 'we'll take our chance, for even if we were to lose, if s well worth paying for.'

"The more I expressed my dislike to bet, the more warmly they pressed me, and I could perceive that a general impression was spreading that my pony was about as apocryphal as many of my previous stories.

"'Ten pounds with you, he doesn't do it,' said an old hard-featured squire.

"'The same from me,' cried another.

"'Two to one in fifties,' shouted a third, until every man at table had proffered his wager, and I gravely called for pen, ink, and paper, and booked them, with all due form.

"'Now, when is it to come off?' was the question of some half dozen.

"'Now, if you like it--the night seems fine.'

"'No, no,' said they, laughing, 'there's no such hurry as that; to-morrow we are going to draw Westenra's cover--what do you say if you meet us there, by eight o'clock--and we'll decide the bet.'

"'Agreed,' said I; and shaking hands with the whole party, I folded up my paper, placed it in my pocket, and wished them good night.

"Sleep was, however, the last thing in my thoughts; repairing to the little public-house where I left my friend Dan, I asked him if he knew any one well acquainted with the country, and who could tell, at a moment, where a hare, or a covey was to be found. "'To be sure,' said he at once; 'there's a boy below knows every puss and every bird in the country. Tim Daly would bring you, dark as the night is, to the very spot where you'd find one.'

"In a few minutes I had made Mr. Tim's acquaintance, and arranged with him to meet me at the cover on the following morning, a code of signals being established between us, by which, he was to convey to me the information of where a hare was lying, or a covey to be sprung.

"A little before eight I was standing beside 'Paul' on the appointed spot, the centre of an admiring circle, who, whatever their misgivings as to his boasted skill, had only one opinion about his shapes and qualities.

"'Splendid forehand'--'what legs'--'look at his quarters'--'and so deep in the heart'--were the exclamations heard on every side--till a rosy-cheeked fat little fellow growing impatient at the delay, cried out--

"'Come, Mr. O'Kelly, mount if you please, and come along.'

"I tightened my girth--sprang into the saddle--my only care being, to keep my toes in as straight a line as I could, with my feet. Before we proceeded half a mile, I saw Tim seated on a stile, scratching his head in a very knowing manner; upon which, I rode out from the party, and looking intently at the furze cover in front, called out--

"'Keep back the dogs there--call them off--hush, not a word.'

"The hounds were called in, the party reined back their horses, and all sat silent spectators of my movements.

"When suddenly I touched 'Paul' in both flanks, down he dropped, like a parish clerk, stiff and motionless as a statue.

"'What's that?' cried two or three behind.

"'He's setting, said I, in a whisper.

"'What is it, though?' said one.

"'A hare!' said I, and at the same instant I shouted to lay on the dogs, and tipping Paul's ears, forward I went. Out bolted puss, and away we started across the country, I leading, and taking all before me.

"We killed in half an hour, and found ourselves not far from the first cover; my friend Tim, being as before in advance, making the same signal as at first. The same performance was now repeated. 'Paul' went through his part to perfection; and notwithstanding the losses, a general cheer saluted us as we sprung to our legs, and dashed after the dogs.

"Of course I didn't spare him: everything now depended on my sustaining our united fame; and there was nothing too high or too wide for me, that morning.

"'What will you take for him, Mr. O'Kelly?' was the question of each man, as he came up to the last field.

"'Would you like any further proof?' said I. 'Is any gentleman dissatisfied?'

"A general 'No' was the answer; and again the offers were received from every quarter, while they produced the bank-notes, and settled their bets. It was no part of my game, however, to sell him; the trick might be discovered before I left the country, and if so, there wouldn't be a whole bone remaining in my skin.

"My refusal evidently heightened both _my_ value and _his_, and I sincerely believe there was no story I could tell, on our ride back to town, which would not have met credence that morning; and, indeed, to do myself justice, I tried my popularity to its utmost.

"By way of a short cut back, as the fair was to begin at noon, we took a different route, which led across some gra.s.s fields, and a small river.

In traversing this, I unfortunately was in the middle of some miraculous anecdote, and entirely forgot my pony and his acquirements; and as he stopped to drink, without thinking of what I was doing, with the common instinct of a rider, I touched him with the spur. Scarcely had the rowel reached his side, when down he fell, sending me head foremost over his neck into the water. For a second or two the strength of the current carried me along, and it was only after a devil of a scramble I gained my legs, and reached the bank wet through, and heartily ashamed of myself.