says the other, back to him, 'that I'd wish to sarve out of a
thousand. Arrah, Jack Magennis, how is every tether-length of you?' says
the old fellow, putting the _furrawn_* on him--'and how is every bone
in your body, Jack, my darling? I'll hould a thousand guineas,' says he,
pointing to a great big bag that lay beside him, 'and that's only the
tenth part of what's in this bag, Jack, that you're just going to be in
luck to-night above all the nights in the year.'

* That frank, cordial manner of address which brings
strangers suddenly to intimacy.

"'And may worse never happen you, Jack, my bouchal,' says the dog,
putting in his tongue, then wagging his tail, and houlding out his paw
to shake hands with Jack.

"'Gintlemen,' says Jack, never minding to give the dog his hand, bekase
he heard it wasn't safe to touch the likes of him--'Gintlemen,' says he,
'ye're sitting far from the fire this frosty night.'

"'Why, that's true, Jack,' answers the ould fellow; 'but if we're
sitting far from the fire, we're sitting very near the makins of it, man
alive.' So, with this, he pulls the bag of goold over to him, that Jack
might know, by the jingle of the shiners, what was in it.

"'Jack,' says dark-face, 'there's some born with a silver ladle in their
mouth, and others with a wooden spoon; and if you'll just sit down on
the one end of this clamp with me, and take a hand at the five and ten,'
pulling out, as he spoke, a deck of cards, 'you may be a made man for
the remainder of your life.'

"'Sir,' says Jack, 'with submission, both yourself and this cur--I
mane,' says he, not wishing to give the dog offence, 'both yourself
and this dacint gintleman with the tail and claws upon him, have
the advantage of me, in respect of knowing my name; for, if I don't
mistake,' says he, putting his hand to his caubeen, 'I never had the
pleasure of seeing either of ye before.'

"'Never mind that,' says the dog, taking back the pipe from the other,
and clapping it in his mouth; 'we're both your well-wishers, anyhow, and
it's now your own fault if you're not a rich man.'

"Jack, by this time, was beginning to think that they might be afther
wishing to throw luck in his way; for he had often heard of men being
made up entirely by the fairies, till there was no end to their wealth.

"'Jack,' says the black man, 'you had better be led by us for this
bout--upon the honor of a gintleman we wish you well: however, if you
don't choose