e into
that hole we should never have been here."

I did not like being thus talked to by a disreputable piece of watered
ribbon, and so kept a dignified silence.

"What's to be done?" presently repeated my companion, giving me another
rude tug at the collar.

"Hold your tongues, if we've nothing to say," was my curt reply.

"Oh, but I've a lot to say," went on this irrepressible chatterbox; "in
the first place--"

"_Will_ you be silent?" said I, angrily; "isn't it bad enough to be down
here, all through your carelessness?"

"But it's not through my carelessness; it was through the hole in the
pocket you got down here."

"If you had half the sense of a--"

"Of a nickel watch, let us say," said the watered ribbon, losing his
temper; "and that would be precious little. Well?"

"If you had half the sense of a blade of grass, you would have been able
to prevent it."

"But you see I hadn't half the sense of a blade of grass, or a quarter,
or an eighth, or a sixteenth. If I had I should have known better than
to lend my moral support to a good-for-nothing, tarnished, ill-
regulated, mendacious piece of Britannia metal, that chooses to call
itself a silver watch. Ha, ha! what do you think of that?"

What I thought of that this impudent ribbon was not destined then to
hear; for there came at that moment a sound of approaching footsteps
across the field, which made us both hold our breaths. Unless the
comer, whoever he was, could get sight of us, he was sure to tread right
on the top of us! Luckily the moon was out, and with her aid I made
myself as bright as possible. The footsteps belonged to a youth, not,
certainly, oppressed by melancholy, to judge by the tune he was
whistling, or very infirm, to judge by the pace at which he advanced.

He came nearer and nearer, and in another step would have been upon me
when suddenly both he and the whistling halted. He stooped, and, with
an exclamation of surprise, picked me up.

"Man alive, an' it's a watch! Hout, boys! there's luck for yez!"

So saying he thrust me and the ribbon into a pocket crowded with all
sorts of oddments, and walked on more rapidly than ever.

I was too bewildered at first by my narrow escape and the sudden change
in my fortunes to pay much heed to my new quarters; but presently that
everlasting ribbon jerked my neck roughly, and called out in a loud
whisper,--

"I say, watch, he's an Irishman!"

"Oh!" said I, as briefly as I could.