t as his legs can carry him." And so was
it, the man had no sooner seen us than he sprung to his feet, and
hurried down the mountain at full speed.

Our first impulse was to follow and give him chase, and even without a
word, we all started off in pursuit; but we soon saw how fruitless would
be the attempt, for, even independent of the start he had got of us, the
peasant's speed was more than the double of our own.

"No matter," said the colonel, "if we have lost the shepherd, we have,
at least, gained the sheep, and so I recommend you to secure a mutton
for dinner to-morrow."

With this piece of advice, down the hill he darted, as hard as he could.
Briolle, the aid-de-camp, and myself following at our best pace. We were
reckoning without our host, however, for the animals, after one stupid
stare at us, set off in a scamper that soon showed their mountain
breeding, keeping all together like a pack of hounds, and, really, not
very inferior in the speed they displayed.

A little gorge led between the hills, and through this they rushed
madly, and with a clatter like a charge of cavalry. Excited by the
chase, and emulous each to outrun the other, the colonel threw off his
chako, and Briolle his sword, in the ardor of pursuit. We now gained on
them rapidly, and though, from a winding in the glen, they had
momentarily got out of sight, we knew that we were close upon them. I
was about thirty paces in advance of my comrades, when, on turning an
angle of the gorge, I found myself directly in front of a group of mud
hovels, in front of which were standing about a dozen ragged, miserable
looking men, armed with pitchforks and scythes, while in the rear stood
the sheep, blown and panting from the chase.

I came to a dead stop; and although I would have given worlds to have
had my comrades at my side, I never once looked back to see if they were
coming; but, putting a bold face on the matter, called out the only few
words I knew of Irish, "Go de ma ha tu."

The peasants looked at each other; and whether it was my accent, my
impudence, or my strange dress and appearance, or all together, I can
not say, but, after a few seconds' pause, they burst out into a roar of
laughter, in the midst of which my two comrades came up.

"We saw the sheep feeding on the hills, yonder," said I, recovering
self-possession, "and guessed that by giving them chase, they'd lead us
to some inhabited spot. What is this place called?"

"Shindrennin