still he was loath to stir, hopin the dogs id come home; and
'By gor, my fine fellow,' says he to the fox, 'if one o' the dogs
comes home, saltpethre wouldn't save you, and that's a sthrong
pickle.'

"So with that he watched antil the fox wasn't mindin' him, but was
busy shakin' the cindhers out o' the pipe whin he was done wid it, and
so the ranger thought he was goin' to go immediately afther gettin an
air o' the fire and a shough o' the pipe; and so, says he, 'Faix, my
lad, I won't let you go so aisy as all that, as cunnin' as you think
yourself;' and with that he made a dart out o' bed, and run over to
the door, and got betune it and the fox, 'And now,' says he, 'your
bread's baked, my buck, and maybe my lord won't have a fine run out
o' you, and the dogs at your brish every yard, you morodin' thief, and
the divil mind you,' says he, 'for your impidence--for sure, if you
hadn't the impidence of a highwayman's horse it's not into my very
house, undher my nose, you'd daar for to come:' and with that he began
to whistle for the dogs; and the fox, that stood eyein' him all the
time while he was spakin', began to think it was time to be joggin'
whin he heard the whistle--and says the fox to himself, 'Troth,
indeed, you think yourself a mighty great ranger now,' says he, 'and
you think you're very cute, but upon my tail, and that's a big oath,
I'd be long sorry to let such a mallet-headed bog-throtter as yourself
take a dirty advantage o' me, and I'll engage,' says the fox, 'I'll
make you lave the door soon and suddint,'--and with that he turned
to where the ranger's brogues was lyin' hard by beside the fire, and,
what would you think, but the fox tuk one o' the brogues, and wint
over to the fire, and threw it into it.

"'I think that'll make you start,' says the fox.

"'Divil resave the start,' says the ranger--'that won't do, my buck,'
says he, 'the brogue may burn to cindhers,' says he, 'but out o' this
I won't stir;' and thin, puttin' his fingers into his mouth, he gev a
blast of a whistle you'd hear a mile off, and shouted for the dogs.

"'So that won't do,' says the fox--'well, I must thry another offer,'
says he, and with that he tuk up the other brogue, and threw it into
the fire too.

"'There, now,' says he, 'you may keep the other company,' says
he; 'and there's a pair o' you now, as the divil said to his
knee-buckles.'

"'Oh, you thievin' varment,' says the ranger, 'you won't lave me a
tack to my feet;