Mulvaney came out of a revery--he was lying down--and flourished his heels in the air. "You're a man, Learoyd," said he, critically, "but you've only fought wid men, an' that's an ivry-day expayrience; but I've stud up to a ghost, an' that was _not_ an ivry-day expayrience." "No?" said Ortheris, throwing a cork at him. "You git up an' address the 'ouse--you an' yer expayriences. Is it a bigger one nor usual?" "Twas the livin' trut'!" answered Mulvaney, stretching out a huge arm and catching Ortheris by the collar. "Now where are ye, me son? Will ye take the wurrud av the Lorrd out av my mouth another time?" He shook him to emphasize the question. "No, somethin' else, though," said Ortheris, making a dash at Mulvaney's pipe, capturing it and holding it at arm's length; "I'll chuck it acrost the ditch if you don't let me go!" "You maraudin' hathen! Tis the only cutty I iver loved. Handle her tinder or I'll chuck _you_ acrost the nullah. If that poipe was bruk--Ah! Give her back to me, sorr!" Ortheris had passed the treasure to my hand. It was an absolutely perfect clay, as shiny as the black ball at Pool. I took it reverently, but I was firm. "Will you tell us about the ghost-fight if I do?" I said. "Is ut the shtory that's troublin' you? Av course I will. I mint to all along. I was only gettin' at ut my own way, as Popp Doggle said whin they found him thrying to ram a cartridge down the muzzle. Orth'ris, fall away!" He released the little Londoner, took back his pipe, filled it, and his eyes twinkled. He has the most eloquent eyes of any one that I know. "Did I iver tell you," he began, "that I was wanst the divil of a man?" "You did," said Learoyd, with a childish gravity that made Ortheris yell with laughter, for Mulvaney was always impressing upon us his great merits in the old days. "Did I iver tell you," Mulvaney continued, calmly, "that I was wanst more av a divil than I am now?" "Mer--ria! You don't mean it?" said Ortheris. "Whin I was Corp'ril--I was rejuced aftherward--but, as I say, _whin_ I was Corp'ril, I was a divil of a man." He was silent for nearly a minute, while his mind rummaged among old memories and his eye glowed. He bit upon the pipe-stem and charged into his tale.