ile
their eyes were drawn from the late belligerent parties to a chase
which took place down the street of the apothecary, roaring "Murder!"
followed by Squire O'Grady with an enormous cudgel.

O'Grady, believing that M'Garry and the nurse-tender had combined to
serve him with a writ, determined to wreak double vengeance on the
apothecary, as the nurse had escaped him; and, notwithstanding all his
illness and the appeals of his wife, he left his bed and rode to the
village, to "break every bone in M'Garry's skin." When he entered the
shop, the pharmacopolist was much surprised, and said, with a
congratulatory grin at the great man, "Dear me, Squire O'Grady, I'm
delighted to see you."

"Are you, you scoundrel!" said the squire, making a blow of his cudgel
at him, which was fended off by an iron pestle the apothecary
fortunately had in his hand. The enraged O'Grady made a rush behind the
counter, which the apothecary nimbly jumped over, crying, "Murder!" as
he made for the door, followed by his pursuer, who gave a back-handed
slap at the window-bottles _en passant_, and produced the crash which
astonished the widow, who now joined her screams to the general hue and
cry; for an indiscriminate chase of all the ragamuffins in the town,
with barking curs and screeching children, followed the flight of
M'Garry and the pursuing squire.

"What the divil is all this about?" said Tom Durfy, laughing. "By the
powers! I suppose there's something in the weather to produce all this
fun--though it's early in the year to begin thrashing, for the harvest
isn't in yet. But, however, let us manage our little affair, now that
we're left in peace and quietness, for the blackguards are all over the
bridge after the hunt. I'll go to Dick the Divil immediately, squire,
and arrange time and place."

"There's nothing like saving time and trouble on these occasions," said
the squire. "Dick is at my house, I can arrange time and place with you
this minute, and he will be on the ground with me."

"Very well," said Tom; "where is it to be?"

"Suppose we say the cross-roads, halfway between this and Merryvale?
There's very pretty ground there, and we shall be able to get our
pistols and all that ready in the meantime between this and four
o'clock--and it will be pleasanter to have it all over before dinner."

"Certainly, squire," said Tom Durfy; "we'll be there at four. Till
then, good morning, squire;" and he and his man walked off.

The wi