Page:Beside the Fire - Douglas Hyde.djvu/139

 Rh of the byre and she covered with blood. "My seven thousand curses on you," said Paudyeen, "but I'm afraid you've harm done." He went in and found the horse, a pair of milch cows, and two calves dead. He came out and set a dog he had after the weasel. The dog got a hold of her, and she got a hold of the dog. The dog was a good one, but he was forced to loose his hold of her before Paudyeen could come up. He kept his eye on her, however, all through, until he saw her creeping into a little hovel that was on the brink of a lake. Paudyeen came running, and when he got to the little hut he gave the dog a shake to rouse him up and put anger on him, and then he sent him in before himself. When the dog went in he began barking. Paudyeen went in after him, and saw an old hag (cailleach) in the corner. He asked her if she saw a weasel coming in there.

"I did not," said she; "I'm all destroyed with a plague of sickness, and if you don't go out quick you'll catch it from me."

While Paudyeen and the hag were talking, the dog kept moving in all the time, till at last he gave a leap up and caught the hag by the throat. She screeched, and said:

"Paddy Kelly, take off your dog, and I'll make you a rich man."

Paudyeen made the dog loose his hold, and said:

"Tell me who are you, or why did you kill my horse and my cows?"

"And why did you bring away my gold that I was for five hundred years gathering throughout the hills and hollows of the world?"

"I thought you were a weasel," said Paudyeen, "or I wouldn't touch your gold; and another thing," says