Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 1 1883.djvu/194

186 wonder if anything would tempt him to leave any money in that chest." Pat told him it was locked; but the beggar man said he would soon open it. Pat said he would get turned out of house and home; but the beggar man took no notice, and turned the chest upside down, and, getting a spade, soon broke the bottom boards out. The poor old woman sued for mercy, saying she would say nothing of what she had heard; but the beggar man said she would not get a chance, at the same time catching up a hard crust, he rammed it down her throat with the end of the poker. After three days had passed, Mike's wife said it was time the chest was brought back, and, to their surprise, when it did come home they found the old woman dead and quite black in the face. Mike said it was a judgment from God for suspecting his brother. Mike consulted his wife, and they agreed to tell the foreman to lay straw about the yard as the old lady was taken dangerously ill. Next day, about twelve o'clock, they put the report about that she had died. The funeral was arranged, and she was buried with a gold ring and other costly things about her. The night after the funeral, the beggar said it was a shame that such good things should be buried; therefore it was arranged that they should go to the grave and dig her up, and take them off of her. But instead of taking them off of her, he put her on his back, and carried her to the house, and leant her up against the front door. In the morning the master called the butler, and asked him to go and see how the weather was, as he had to see to the making of hayricks. Directly the butler opened the front door, the old woman fell inside, and he fainted away on top of her. The master, getting impatient, called the footman, and told him to see what was keeping the butler. He brought back answer to say that they were both stretched at the front door. The next day the master buried her a second time. The next night they dug her up, and brought her to the stables, and strapped her on a colt's back, and took the headstall off. In the morning, when daylight appeared, the colt made its way out on the front lawn, and began jumping about, as he had not been used to have anybody on his back. The master waking up, seeing it out of his window, determined to leave the country: so, making arrangements with his foreman, he started off with his wife in a four-in-hand. Now the mother of this colt was among the four. When the colt saw her go it followed. When the master saw this he became greatly alarmed, and resolved to turn back. Now on their way home they had to