ÆSCULAPIUS TO THE RESCUE.
t was not until Puddock had returned, that the gallant fireworker recollected all on a sudden that he had swallowed one of the bags.
'Thwallowed?—thwallowed it!' said Puddock, looking very blank and uncomfortable; 'why, Thir, I told you you were to be very careful.'
'Why, why curse it, it's not, 'tisn't——'
'There was a long pause, and O'Flaherty stared a very frightened and hideous stare at the proprietor of the red quarto.
'Not what, Thir?' demanded Puddock, briskly, but plainly disconcerted.
'Not anything—anything bad—or, or—there's no use in purtendin', Puddock,' he resumed, turning quite yellow. 'I see, Sir, I see by your looks, it's what you think, I'm poisoned!'
'I—I—do not, Thir, think you're poisoned,' he replied indignantly, but with some flurry; 'that is, there's a great deal in it that could not pothibly do you harm—there's only one ingredient, yes—or, or, yes, perhapth three, but thertainly no more, that I don't quite know about, depend upon it, 'tis nothing—a—nothing—a—seriouthly—a—But why, my dear Thir, why on earth did you violate the thimple directions—why did you thwallow a particle of it?'
'Och, why did I let it into my mouth at all—the divil go with it!' retorted poor O'Flaherty; 'an' wasn't I the born eediot to put them devil's dumplins inside my mouth? but I did not know what I was doin'—no more I didn't.'