“‘Yis, sor,’ I says; ‘thim suspinders has kidnapped nine men, divil a wan less,’ I says.
“‘I hope they was nice people,’ says he.
“‘And why do ye hope that?’ I says.
“‘Why not?’ says he, gintle-like.
“‘Don’t ye git gay, sor,’ says I, ‘and don’t be goin’ so fast whin it’s so steep-like. Faith, it’s you is bein’ kidnapped, not mesilf.’
“‘Yis,’ says he, ‘I raymimber that.’
“‘Oh, ye do?’ says I. ‘Ye’d better be usin’ your brains to walk with instid of strainin’ thim like that. Here! That ain’t the way!’ I yells at him as we come to where a side path turned off. And with that me poor feet slipped on some loose stones, and I would ’a’ jerked the head off him but for the suspinders stretchin’.
“‘Guh!’ says he, which was about what ye’d expect from him whin he talked without stoppin’ to think it up aforehand. And thin says he: ‘Here, me good man, ye’d better be fixin’ this. The rope’s comin’ loose.’
“‘I near dropped the suspinders entirely. ‘Holy hiven,’ I says to mesilf, ‘he must think we’re playin’ he was Queen of the May, and me wantin’ to quit and go home! Bedad, they’s something behind all this!’ But I tied him up ag’in and we wint on down, with me thinkin’ till the roots of me hair was twisted, tryin’ to find was they anny explanation of him, and him 405 stumblin’ along in the dark and askin’ me quistions, happy and continted.
“Whin we come to the bottom I says ‘whoa’ to him, till I could see they was no wan hangin’ round, and thin we wint down where I’d left me boat. Divil the lie I’m tellin’ ye, some wan had took it!