"I'm coming along with you," said the man, "and I'll get my share."
"You can do that," said Patsy.
The man scrambled down the bank. There was something between his knees of which he was very careful.
"What sort of a thing is that?" said Mary.
"It's a concertina and I do play tunes on it before the houses, and that's how I make my money."
"The musiciner will give us a tune after we get a feed," said Patsy.
"Sure enough," said the man.
Art stretched out his hand.
"Let me have a look at the musical instrument," said he.
The man handed it to him and fell into pace beside Patsy and Caeltia. Mary and Finaun were going as usual one on either side of the ass, and the three of them returned to their interrupted conversation. Every dozen paces Finaun would lean to the border of the road and pluck a fistful of prime grass or a thistle or a clutch of chickweed, and he would put these to the ass's mouth.