was coming on, Jack tould him he was doing gloriously. 'Remember the
empty hook, Jack,' said he. 'Never fear, your honor,' answered Jack, 'if
I don't finish my task, you may bob my head off anytime.'

"Jack now went out, and was a short time getting through his job, for
before the sun set it was finished, and he came into the kitchen, ate
his supper, and, sitting down before the fire, sung 'Love among the
Roses,' and the 'Black Joke,' to vex the ould fellow.

"This was one task over, and his head was safe for that bout; but that
night, before he went to bed, his master called him upstairs, brought
him into the bloody room, and gave him his orders for the next day.
'Jack,' says he, 'I have a wild filly that has never been caught,
and you must go to my demesne to-morrow, and catch her, or if you
don't--look there,' says the big blackguard, 'on that hook it hangs,
before to-morrow, if you havn't her at sunset in the stable that you
claned yesterday.' 'Very well, your honor,' said Jack, carelessly, 'I'll
do every thing in my power, and if I fail, I can't help it.'

"The next morning, Jack was out with a bridle in his hand, going to
catch the filly. As soon as he got into the domain, sure enough, there
she was in the middle of a green field, grazing quite at her ase. When
Jack saw this he went over towards her, houlding out his hat as if it
was full of oats; but he kept the hand that had the bridle in it behind
his back, for fraid she'd see it and make off. Well, my dear, on he went
till he was almost within grip of her, cock-sure that he had nothing
more to do than slip the bridle over her neck and secure her; but he
made a bit of a mistake in his reckoning, for though she smelt and
snoaked about him, just as if she didn't care a feed of oats whether he
caught her or not, yet when he boulted over to hould her fast, she was
off like a shot with her tail cocked, to the far end of the demesne,
and Jack had to set off hot foot after here. All, however, was to no
purpose; he couldn't come next or near her for the rest of the day, and
there she kept coorsing him about from one field to another, till he
hadn't a blast of breath in his body.

"In this state was Jack when the beautiful crathur came out to call
him home to his breakfast, walking with the pretty small feet and
light steps of her own upon the green fields, so bright and beautiful,
scarcely bending the flowers and the grass as she went along, the
darling.

"'Jack,