"Did you go home direct from my house to the squire's?"
"Yis, sir, I did: I wint direct home, and called at Mr. M'Garry's by the way for some physic for the childre."
"That's it!" said Murtough; "he changed my enclosure for a blister there; and if M'Garry has only had the luck to send the bit o' parchment to O'Grady, it will be the best joke I've heard this month of Sundays."
"He did! he did!" shouted Tom Durfy; "for don't you remember how O'Grady was after M'Garry this morning."
"Sure enough," said Murtough, enjoying the double mistake. "By dad! Andy, you've made a mistake this time that I'll forgive you."
"By the powers o' war!" roared Dick the Devil, "I won't forgive him what he did now, though! What do you think?" said he, holding out the pistols, and growing crimson with rage: "may I never fire another shot if he hasn't crammed a brace of bullets down the pistols before I loaded them: so, no wonder you burned prime, Ned."
There was a universal laugh at Dick's expense, whose pride in being considered the most accomplished regulator of the duello was well known.
"Oh, Dick, Dick! you're a pretty second!" was shouted by all.
Dick, stung by the laughter, and feeling keenly the ridiculous position in which he was placed, made a rush at Andy, who, seeing the storm brewing, gradually sneaked away from the group, and, when he perceived the sudden movement of Dick the Devil, took to his heels, with Dick after him.
"Hurra!" cried Murphy; "a race—a race! I'll bet on Andy—five pounds on Andy."