Page:Beside the Fire - Douglas Hyde.djvu/217

Rh On the morning, the day on the morrow, Donal put another load on the cart, and he went to Galway. He sold the oats, and got a good price for it. When he was coming home, and near the half-way house, he said to himself: "I will shut my eyes till I go past that house, for fear there should be a temptation on me to go in." He shut his eyes; but when the horses came as far as the inn, they stood, and would not go a step further, for it was their custom to get oats and water in that place every time they would be coming out of Galway. He opened his eyes, gave oats and water to the horses, and went in himself to put a coal in his pipe.

When he went in he saw the boys playing cards. They asked him to play, and (said) that perhaps he might gain all that he lost the day before. As there is a temptation on the cards, Donal began playing, and he did not stop until he lost every penny of all that he had. "There is no good in my going home now," says Donal; "I'll stake the horses and the cart against all I lost." He played again, and he lost the horses and the cart. Then he did not know what he should do, but he thought and said: "Unless I go home, my poor mother will be anxious. I will go home and tell the truth to her. They can but banish me."

When he came home, Dermod asked him: "Did you sell the oats? or where are the horses and the cart?" "I lost the whole playing cards, and I would not come back except to leave ye my blessing before I go." "That you may not ever come back, or a penny of your price," said Dermod, "and I don't want your blessing."

He left his blessing with his mother then, and he went travelling, looking for service. When the darkness of the night was coming, there was thirst and hunger on him. He saw a poor man coming to him, and a bag on