'Rourke was
not a man whose word a quietly-disposed person would wish in his sober
moments to call in question.

"Unfortunately, there was present an Englishman, a Lieutenant Brown,
into whose head the fumes of the tawny port and ruby claret had already
mounted.

"`Anchovies growing on a wall?' he blurted out. `That's a cram if ever
there was one.'

"O'Rourke was on his feet in a moment,--

"`What, sir--it's not you who mean to say that you don't believe me, I
hope?' he exclaimed, in a voice which meant mischief.

"`Believe you! I should think I don't, or any man who can talk such
gammon,' answered Brown, in a tone of defiance.

"As may be supposed, there was only one way in which such a matter could
end. Preliminaries were soon settled. The affair would have come off
that evening, but it would have broken up the party too soon, and
besides it wouldn't have been fair, as Brown's hand was not as steady as
it might have been. So it was put off till the next morning soon after
daylight, when there was a good gathering to see the fun. The English
generally took Brown's side. I of course stood by O'Rourke, not that I
was quite sure he was in the right, by-the-by.

"It was very evident that Brown had no notion of handling his pistol.

"`I'll just wing him to teach the spalpeen better manners,' whispered
O'Rourke to his second. `He's unworthy game for my weapon.'

"The word was given to fire. Brown's bullet flew up among some trees
away to the right, not a little frightening the young in a nest of
birds, who popped out their heads to see what was the matter. It was
now our friend's turn.

He smiled as he sent his ball through Brown's trousers, cruelly grazing
his leg, whereon he began to skip about in the most comical way possible
with the pain.

"`By ---, you've made that fellow cut capers at all events,' observed
O'Rourke's second.

"`Cut capers, did ye say?' exclaimed O'Rourke. `Them's the very things
I saw growing on the wall, and not anchovies at all, at all.' And
rushing up to poor Brown, who had fallen on the ground, he took his
hand, greatly to the surprise of the wounded man, crying out,--`It's
myself made the trifle of a mistake, my dear fellow, it's capers, it's
capers, grows on walls, so get up and don't think anything more about
the matter.'

"Poor Brown went limping about for many a day afterwards, and didn't
seem to consider the matter half as good a joke as the rest of us."

O'Gra