'An Englishman here!' exclaimed a peasant. 'Arrah! he'll go back quicker than he came.'
'Maybe he wouldn't go back at all,' cried another, chuckling. 'We'd make an Oirishman of him for ever.'
'Begad, we'd make him wear the grane in raal earnest, and, a foine scraw it would be,' said a third.
The witticism was greeted with a roar of laughter, and upon this expression of a somewhat verdant patriotism the dispute concerning the reduction was resumed.
'Give us the land all round at the Government valuation,' said a man in the middle of the group.
'Why, you are only fifteen per cent. above the valuation,' cried Mr.
Scully.
For a moment this seemed to create a difference of opinion among the peasants; but the League had drawn them too firmly together to be thus easily divided. They talked amongst themselves in Irish. Then the old man said:
'We can't take less than thirty, yer honour. The Lague wouldn't let us.'
'I can't give you more than twenty.'
'Thin let us come on home, thin; no use us wasting our toime here,' cried a sturdy peasant, who, although he had spoken but seldom, seemed to exercise an authority over the others. With one accord they followed him; but, rushing forward, Mr. Scully seized him by the arm, saying: