--for there was a crowd--said the same. So with that my
father unscrewed his bayonet, and put his piece on his shoulder, and walked
off to his bed in the barrack as peaceable as need be. But well, when they
came to relieve him, wasn't there a raal commotion? And faith, you see, it
went mighty hard with my father the next morning; for the bank was open
just as usual, and my father was sintinced to fifty lashes, but got
off with a week in prison, and three more rowling a big stone in the
barrack-yard."

Thus chatting away, the time passed over, until we arrived at Fermoy.
Here there was some little delay in procuring horses; and during the
negotiation, Mike, who usually made himself master of the circumstances of
every place through which he passed, discovered that the grocer's shop of
the village was kept by a namesake, and possibly a relation of his own.

"I always had a notion, Mister Charles, that I came from a good stock; and
sure enough, here's 'Mary Free' over the door there, and a beautiful place
inside; full of tay and sugar and gingerbread and glue and coffee and bran,
pickled herrings, soap, and many other commodities."

"Perhaps you'd like to claim kindred, Mike," said I, interrupting; "I'm
sure she'd feel flattered to discover a relative in a Peninsular hero."

"It's just what I'm thinking; av we were going to pass the evening here,
I'd try if I couldn't make her out a second cousin at least."

Fortune, upon this occasion, seconded Mike's wishes, for when the horses
made their appearance, I learned, to my surprise, that the near side one
would not bear a saddle, and the off-sider could only run on his own
side. In this conjuncture, the postilion was obliged to drive from what,
_Hibernice_ speaking, is called the perch,--no ill-applied denomination to
a piece of wood which, about the thickness of one's arm, is hung between
the two fore-springs, and serves as a resting-place in which the luckless
wight, weary of the saddle, is not sorry to repose himself.

"What's to be done?" cried I. "There's no room within; my traps barely
leave space for myself among them."

"Sure, sir," said the postilion, "the other gentleman can follow in the
morning coach; and if any accident happens to yourself on the road, by
reason of a break-down, he'll be there as soon as yourself."

This, at least, was an agreeable suggestion, and as I saw it chimed with
Mike's notions, I acceded at once; he came running up at the moment.