he reeled into the stable, back foremost, but the ass received him with
a kick on the broadest part of his small clothes, and laid him
comfortably on the dunghill.

When he came to himself, he scratched his head, and began to think what
happened him; and as soon as he found that his legs were able to carry
him, he crawled away, dragging one foot after another, till he reached
the wood.

"Well, well," cried them all, when he came within hearing, "any chance
of our property?"

"You may say chance," says he, "and it's itself is the poor chance all
out. Ah, will any of you pull a bed of dry grass for me? All the
sticking-plaster in Enniscorthy will be too little for the cuts and
bruises I have on me. Ah, if you only knew what I have gone through for
you! When I got to the kitchen fire, looking for a sod of lighted turf,
what should be there but an old woman carding flax, and you may see the
marks she left on my face with the cards. I made to the room door as
fast as I could, and who should I stumble over but a cobbler and his
seat, and if he did not work at me with his awls and his pinchers you
may call me a rogue. Well, I got away from him somehow, but when I was
passing through the door, it must be the divel himself that pounced
down on me with his claws, and his teeth, that were equal to sixpenny
nails, and his wings--ill luck be in his road! Well, at last I reached
the stable, and there, by way of salute, I got a pelt from a
sledge-hammer that sent me half a mile off. If you don't believe me,
I'll give you leave to go and judge for yourselves."

"Oh, my poor captain," says they, "we believe you to the nines. Catch
us, indeed, going within a hen's race of that unlucky cabin!"

Well, before the sun shook his doublet next morning, Jack and his
comrades were up and about. They made a hearty breakfast on what was
left the night before, and then they all agreed to set off to the
castle of the Lord of Dunlavin, and give him back all his gold and
silver. Jack put it all in the two ends of a sack and laid it across
Neddy's back, and all took the road in their hands. Away they went,
through bogs, up hills, down dales, and sometimes along the yellow high
road, till they came to the hall-door of the Lord of Dunlavin, and who
should be there, airing his powdered head, his white stockings, and his
red breeches, but the thief of a porter.

He gave a cross look to the visitors, and says he to Jack, "What do you
want here, my fin