“None at all, Tim? And she's not after sinding an excuse wid you? What's that undher your arm?”
“My Grough, sir.”—(Buz, buz, buz.)
“Silence, boys. And, you blackguard Lilliputian, you, what kept you away till this?”
“One bird pickin', two men thrashin'; one bird pickin', two men thrashin'; one bird pickin'—”
“Sir, they're stickn' pins in me, here.”
“Who is, Briney?”
“I don't know, sir, they're all at it.”
“Boys, I'll go down to yez.”
“I can't carry him, sir, he'd be too heavy for me: let Larry Toole do it, he's stronger nor me; any way, there, he's putting a corker pin in his mouth.” *—(Buz, buz, buz.)
* In the hedge schools it was usual for the unfortunate
culprit about to be punished to avail himself of all
possible stratagems that were calculated to diminish
his punishment. Accordingly, when put upon another
boy's back to be horsed, as it was termed, he slipped a
large pin, called a corker, in his mouth, and on
receiving the first blow stuck it into the neck of the
boy who carried him. This caused the latter to jump and
bounce about in such a manner that many of the blows
directed at his burthen missed their aim. It was an
understood thing, however, that the boy carrying the
felon should aid him in every way in his power, by
yielding, moving', and shifting about, so that it was
only when he seemed to abet the master that the pin was
applied to him.