of the man that wielded it. And he told Jack, if he
was alive again' night, and not killed by the dhragon, to come back to
his cabin. Jack thanked him for the sword, and promised this, and then
he set out for the castle. But lo! and behold ye, no sooner did Jack
come anear the castle than a terrible great monsther of a dhragon
entirely, the wildest ever Jack seen or heard tell of, come out from
the castle, and he opened his mouth as wide as the world from side to
side, and let out a roar that started the old gray eagle on top of
Croaghpathrick mountain at home in Ireland. Poor Jack thrimbled from
head to foot--and small wonder he did--but, not a bit daunted, he went
on to meet the dhragon, and no sooner were they met than he to it and
the dhragon to it, and they fought and sthrove long and hard, the
wildest fight by far that poor Jack ever entered into, and they fought
that way from early mornin' till the sun went down, at one time Jack
seemin' to be gettin' the betther of the dhragon, and the next minute
the dhragon gettin' the betther of Jack; and when the sun went down
they called a truce of peace till next day; and Jack dragged himself
back to the cabin in small hopes of being able to meet the dhragon
more, for he was covered over with wounds from head to foot. But when
he got to the cabin the ould man welcomed him back alive, and he took
down a little bottle of ointment and rubbed it over Jack, and no
sooner did he rub it over him than Jack's wounds were all healed as
well as ever again. And Jack went out a new man the next mornin' to
give the dhragon another try for it this day. And just as on the day
afore the fiery dhragon come down the hill meeting poor Jack, and the
dhragon opened his mouth as wide as the world, and gave a roar that
shook the nails on the toes of the great gray eagle on top of
Croaghpathrick mountain at home in Ireland, and then he fell on Jack,
and Jack fell on him, and the dhragon to it, and Jack to it; and the
dhragon gave Jack his fill, and Jack gave the dhragon his fill; and if
they fought hard the day afore they fought double as hard this day,
and the dhragon put very sore on Jack entirely till the sun went down.
Then again they agreed on a truce of peace till the next mornin', and
Jack dragged himself back as best he could to the cabin again, all
covered over with cuts and bruises, and streaming down with blood.
And when he came there the ould man took down a little bottle of
ointment a