ushion, and bearing all the signs of a severe injury.

"Keep the near side of the way, sir, I beg of you," cried he; "I have a
broken leg, and am excessively uneasy when a horse passes close to me."

I touched my cap in salute, and immediately turned my horse's head to
comply with his request.

"Did you see that, George?" cried another gentleman, who sat on the
opposite side of the vehicle; "did you remark that fellow's salute? My
life on't he's a French soldier."

"Nonsense, man--he's the steward of a Clyde smack, or a clerk in a
counting-house," said the first, in a voice which, though purposely low,
my quick hearing could catch perfectly.

"Are we far from Letterkenny just now, sir?" said the other, addressing
me.

"I believe about five miles," said I, with a prodigious effort to make
my pronunciation pass muster.

"You're a stranger in these parts, I see, sir," rejoined he, with a
cunning glance at his friend, while he added, lower, "Was I right,
Hill?"

Although seeing that all concealment was now hopeless, I was in no wise
disposed to plead guilty at once, and therefore, with a cut of my
switch, pushed my beast into a sharp canter to get forward.

My friends, however, gave chase, and now the jaunting-car,
notwithstanding the sufferings of the invalid, was clattering after me
at about nine miles an hour. At first I rather enjoyed the malice of the
penalty their curiosity was costing, but as I remembered that the
invalid was not the chief offender, I began to feel compunction at the
severity of the lesson, and drew up to a walk.

They at once shortened their pace, and came up beside me.

"A clever hack you're riding, sir," said the inquisitive man.

"Not so bad for an animal of this country," said I, superciliously.

"Oh, then, what kind of a horse are you accustomed to?" asked he, half
insolently.

"The Limousin," said I, coolly, "what we always mount in our Hussar
regiments in France."

"And you are a French soldier, then?" cried he, in evident astonishment
at my frankness.

"At your service, sir," said I, saluting; "a Lieutenant of Hussars; and
if you are tormented by any further curiosity concerning me, I may as
well relieve you by stating that I am proceeding to Lord Cavan's
head-quarters, to surrender as a prisoner."

"Frank enough, that!" said he of the broken leg, laughing heartily as he
spoke.

"Well, sir," said the other, "you are, as your countrymen would call
it, '_bien venu_,' fo