hand again.

"I'm a newspaper man myself," he said. "I control two-thirds of the
press in the state where I belong."

Thady Gallagher seemed greatly impressed by this statement. Doyle felt
more than ever that his new guest was a man who ought to be treated with
all possible consideration.

"It could be," he said, "that them chops would be ready for you now, and
if you'll tell the girl what it is you'd like to drink----"

"When I've finished my lunch," said Mr. Billing, "I'd like to take a
stroll round this section. There are some things I want to see. Perhaps
Mr. Gallagher will come with me, if he can spare the time."

"Thady Gallagher will be pleased," said Doyle. "And as for sparing the
time, he has plenty of that. You'll go with the gentleman, won't you,
Thady?"

"I will, of course," said Gallagher.

"And there's no man knows the neighbourhood better," said Doyle. "There
isn't one in it, man, woman, or child, that he isn't acquainted with,
and anything there might be to tell about their fathers or mothers
before them, Thady Gallagher is well fit to tell it to you.".

"What I'd like to be shown first," said Mr. Billing, "is the statue to
the memory of General John Regan."

Doyle looked at Gallagher doubtfully. Gallagher edged away a little. He
seemed inclined to take shelter again behind Doyle.

"The statue?" said Doyle.

"Statue or other memorial," said Mr. Billing.

"With regard to the statue----" said Doyle slowly.

Then he turned round and caught Gallagher by the arm.

"Speak up, Thady Gallagher," he said, "and tell the gentleman about the
statue."

"With reference to the statue----" said Gallagher.

"Yes," said Mr. Billing encouragingly, "the statue to General John
Regan."

"With reference to the statue of the deceased general," said Gallagher.

"What he's wanting to say," said Doyle, "is that at the present time
there's no statue to the General, not in Ballymoy, anyway."

"You surprise me some," said Mr. Billing.

"It's what there ought to be," said Doyle, "and that's a fact."

"Is Ballymoy such a nursery of heroes," said Mr. Billing, "that you
can afford to neglect the memory of the great General, the patriot
statesman, the deliverer of Bolivia?"

"Speak up, Thady," said Doyle, "and tell the gentleman why there's no
statue to the General in Ballymoy."

Gallagher cleared his throat and began to speak. At first his words came
to him slowly; but as he warmed to his subject he became fl