Page:Beside the Fire - Douglas Hyde.djvu/185

 Rh the breaking of the traneens under his foot as often as he moved. He was thinking, in his own mind, at last, that the sheehogues would not come that night, and that it was as good for him to return back again, when he heard a sound far away from him, coming towards him, and he recognised what it was at the first moment. The sound increased, and at first it was like the beating of waves on a stony shore, and then it was like the falling of a great waterfall, and at last it was like a loud storm in the tops of the trees, and then the whirlwind burst into the rath of one rout, and the sheehogues were in it.

It all went by him so suddenly that he lost his breath with it, but he came to himself on the spot, and put an ear on himself, listening to what they would say.

Scarcely had they gathered into the rath till they all began shouting, and screaming, and talking amongst themselves; and then each one of them cried out: "My horse, and bridle, and saddle! My horse, and bridle, and saddle!" and Guleesh took courage, and called out as loudly as any of them: "My horse, and bridle, and saddle! My horse, and bridle, and saddle!" But before the word was well out of his mouth, another man cried out: "Ora! Guleesh, my boy, are you here with us again? How are you coming on with your woman? There's no use in your calling for your horse to-night. I'll go bail you won't play on us again. It was a good trick you played on us last year!"

"It was," said another man, "he won't do it again."

"Isn't he a prime lad, the same lad! to take a woman with him that never said as much to him as, 'how do you do?' since this time last year!" says the third man.

"Perhaps he likes to be looking at her," said another voice.

"And if the omadawn only knew that there's an herb