it, begorra! Ye'll not hould thim long, me b'y!

_John._ "Methinks I hear
A spirit in your echoes answer me."

_Patsy._ Begorra, ye'll soon hear an Irish echo ax ye something else!

_John._ "And bid your tenant welcome to his home
again!"

_Patsy._ Begorra, you're wilcome to no more watermillons, ye'll find!

_John._ "Ye guards of Liberty!"

_Patsy._ Ye little blackguard!

_John._ "I'm with you once again! I hold my hands to you,
To show they still are free!"

_Patsy._ Begorra, they're stained with watermillons, sure!

_John._ "I rush to you,
As though I could embrace you!"

(_Runs into_ PATSY'S _arms._)

_Patsy._ Come on, I'm waiting for you! O, you blackguard! O, yes
spalpeen! I've got yes!

_John._ Who are you? What do you want? Let me go!

_Patsy._ Niver! Ye must go along wid me, my fine lad; there's a bill a
waiting for you at farmer Hopkins's.

_John._ Farmer Hopkins! But I shall be late for school.

_Patsy._ O, niver mind the school. You'll get a little uv it there,
from a nice big cowhide.

_John._ Let me go, I say!

_Patsy._ Quit your howling, and come along.

_John._ I won't. Help! Help! Help!

_Enter_ CHARLEY _and_ RALPH, R.

_Charley._ What's the matter, Ray?

_Ralph._ Hallo, Patsy! What's to pay now?

_Patsy._ A small bill for watermillons, Master Ralph.

_Ralph._ O, I see; you're found out, Ray!

_John._ Well, I wan't the only one in the patch last night.

_Ralph._ But you're the only one found out; so you must take the
consequences.

_Charley._ Master Jones sent us to look for you; it's five minutes
after nine.

_John._ O, dear, what's to become of me!

_Ralph._ You must get to school at once. Patsy, I'll be answerable for
John Ray's appearance at Farmer Hopkins's after school. Won't that do?

_Patsy._ To be sure it will. I can depind upon you, Master Ralph. But
mind and cape an eye on that chap; fur it's my opinion he's a little
cracked; he's bin ravin' about crags, and peaks, and liberty like a
full-blooded Fenian. I'll go home and practise a bit wid that cowhide.
[_Exit_, L.

_Charley._ Well, John, got your piece?

_John._ Got my piece? No. I've been bothered to death!

_Ralph._ You've been keeping company with the "thief of time."

_John._ I'd like to know what you mean by that.

_Ralph._ I'll tell you. You should have studied your piece yesterday
noon; but, instead of that, you went boating. You