rishman till he
foamed at the mouth, all of which the other put down to snake-poison.
Round and round the yard and up and down it they trotted him till long
after dark, until there was n't a struggle left in him.

They placed him on the sofa again, Maloney keeping him awake with a
strap. How Dave ground his teeth and kicked and swore whenever he felt
that strap! And they sat and watched him.

It was late in the night when Dad came from town. He staggered in with
the neck of a bottle showing out of his pocket. In his hand was a
piece of paper wrapped round the end of some yards of sausage. The dog
outside carried the other end.

"An' 'e ishn't dead?" Dad said, after hearing what had befallen Dave.
"Don' b'leevsh id--wuzhn't bit. Die 'fore shun'own ifsh desh ad'er
bish 'm."

"Bit!" Dave said bitterly, turning round to the surprise of everyone.
"I never said I was BIT. No one said I was--only those snivelling
idiots and that pumpkin-headed Irish pig there."

Maloney lowered his jaw and opened his eyes.

"Zhackly. Did'n' I (HIC) shayzo, 'Loney? Did'n' I, eh, ol' wom'n!"
Dad mumbled, and dropped his chin on his chest.

Maloney began to take another view of the matter. He put a leading
question to Joe.

"He MUSTER been bit," Joe answered, "'cuz he had the d-death adder in
his hand."

More silence.

"Mush die 'fore shun'own," Dad murmured.

Maloney was thinking hard. At last he spoke. "Bridgy!" he cried,
"where's th' childer?" Mrs. Maloney gathered them up.

Just then Dad seemed to be dreaming. He swayed about. His head hung
lower, and he muttered, "Shen'l'm'n, yoush disharged wish shanksh
y'cun'ry."

The Maloneys left.

Dave is still alive and well, and silent as ever; and if any one
question is more intolerable and irritating to him than another, it is
to be asked if he remembers the time he was bitten by deaf-adder.

Chapter X.

Dad And The Donovans.

A sweltering summer's afternoon. A heat that curled and withered the
very weeds. The corn-blades drooping, sulking still. Mother and Sal
ironing, mopping their faces with a towel and telling each other how
hot it was. The dog stretched across the doorway. A child's bonnet on
the floor--the child out in the sun. Two horsemen approaching the
slip-rails.

Dad had gone down the gully to Farmer, who had been sick for four days.
The ploughing was at a standstill in consequence, for we had only two
draught-horses. Dad erected a sh