omething breathe quite near
him. He looked up, and just fornent him there sat on his haunches a
comely-looking greyhound.

[Footnote 3: A merry-making in the honour of some patron saint.]

[Footnote 4: Raths are little fields enclosed by circular ditches.
They are thought to be the sheep-folds and dwellings of an ancient
people.]

[Illustration: "FORNENT HIM THERE SAT ON HIS HAUNCHES A COMELY-LOOKING
GREYHOUND." (_Page 71._)]

'God save you,' said Paddy, every hair in his head standing up as
straight as a sally twig.

'Save you kindly,' answered the greyhound--leaving out God, the beast,
bekase he was the divil. Christ defend us from ever seeing the likes
o' him.

'Musha, Paddy M'Dermid,' said he, 'what would you be looking after in
that grave of a hole you're diggin' there?'

'Faith, nothing at all, at all,' answered Paddy; bekase you see he
didn't like the stranger.

'Arrah, be easy now, Paddy M'Dermid,' said the greyhound; 'don't I
know very well what you are looking for?'

'Why then in truth, if you do, I may as well tell you at wonst,
particularly as you seem a civil-looking gentleman, that's not above
speaking to a poor gossoon like myself.' (Paddy wanted to butter him
up a bit.)

'Well then,' said the greyhound, 'come out here and sit down on this
bank,' and Paddy, like a gomulagh (fool), did as he was desired, but
had hardly put his brogue outside of the circle made by the holy
water, when the beast of a hound set upon him, and drove him out of
the Rath; for Paddy was frightened, as well he might, at the fire that
flamed from his mouth. But next night he returned, full sure the money
was there. As before, he made a circle, and touched the flag, when my
gentleman, the greyhound, appeared in the ould place.

'Oh ho,' said Paddy, 'you are there, are you? but it will be a long
day, I promise you, before you trick me again'; and he made another
stroke at the flag.

'Well, Paddy M'Dermid,' said the hound, 'since you will have money,
you must; but say, how much will satisfy you?'

Paddy scratched his conlaan, and after a while said--

'How much will your honour give me?' for he thought it better to be
civil.

'Just as much as you consider reasonable, Paddy M'Dermid.'

'Egad,' says Paddy to himself, 'there's nothing like axin' enough.'

'Say fifty thousand pounds,' said he. (He might as well have said a
hundred thousand, for I'll be bail the beast had money gulloure.)

'You shall have it,' said