Page:Triangles of life, and other stories.djvu/163

Rh Joe and Dave took him, one on each side, and started to run him on the track to Government House; but they hadn't gone far when at the hurried suggestion of one of the others, and clamorous approval of the rest (there were four others), they threw Pat on his flat, and knelt and sat on him while Dave cut the place with his pocket-knife, and squeezed out as much blood as he could.

Then they ran him on again, only stopping once to take more of his blood, till they got to the huts.

The storekeeper was absent after his horse, so they walked Pat up and down while the super opened the store with the wood axe, and handed out two bottles of brandy.

They gave Pat a long pull, gave two fresh men a nip, who relieved the pacers, and walked Pat up and down with a spurt, while the rest had a nip to brace their nerves.

"It's a long way to Cork, boys," said Pat. "It's a long way to Cork."

They gave him another pull, and walked him up and down.

"I can feel it goin' through me like fire, boys," he said. "I can feel it going through me like fire. Can't ye tie up me roomp somehow? Take a twist on a bit of fincin' wire or something."

One of them picked up a piece of fencing wire, but dropped it hopelessly.

They gave him another pull, and walked him up and down. And every time they walked him up and down the others had nips to keep up their spirits.