Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 28, 1917.djvu/252

 2 20 Collectanea.

poney and trap, was passing, and brought her home. I know that from that night, for over twelve months after, she was out of her mind, and knew nobody. 'Tis only about two years since she began to do business, as she done before this happened. The place had always an airy [queer] name and 'tis very few that would like to pass it after night fall.

She is aHve, and as well as ever now, thank God ! and likely to live for years, and has a fine family of sons and daughters, and doing a good business in the village. — Told by Martin Kennedy, Highpark, Co. Limerick.

The Dead Hunt.

Now this occurred only about fifty years ago. The Cahir- conlish domain, as 'tis called, but is now in allotments, was owened by a man named Wilson, a good man, as I hear, for he used to give the tenants around the place the hay for nothing, but to cut and save it themselves.

Well, there was one man, the name of Hannan, who got about an acre or so, and the time being busy with the harvest, he used to rise early and cut it, and then, when his day was down in his other employment, he would go at it agin.

Well, sir, 'twas a splendid night in August and the moon was shining grand, when Tom Hannan woke, and says to his wife : " I think I'll get up and finish that bit of hay." So up he gets and goes to the spot where the hay was.

He was not long there, when he heard the tramping of horses, and the howling of dogs. " It must be late," says he, " I suppose they are going to Limerick," when all of a sudden hundreds of horses and men came into the place where he was. He ran and got under a cock of hay, and he thought he would be tramped to death every minute, for they were that near him that he could hear the creaking of the saddles.

When all was quiet again, he crawled out and across the road on his hands and knees, and knocked at the lodge door. The tenant at the time was James Murnane, he opened the door, and was surprised to see Tom so early. He happened to have a drop in the house, or 'twould be the last of Tom. So he up