Well, to be sure, the owld man was frekened, but he plucked up his courage and his cuteness, and towld the divil, in a bantherin' way, jokin' like, that he had partic'lar business thin, that he was goin' to a party, and hoped an _owld friend_ wouldn't inconvaynience him that-a-way. The divil said he'd call the next day, and that he must be ready; and sure enough in the evenin' he kem to him; and when the colonel seen him, he reminded him of his bargain that as long as he could give him some work he couldn't do, he wasn't obleeged to go. 'That's thrue,' says the divil. 'I'm glad you're as good as your word, anyhow,' says the colonel. 'I never bruk my word yit,' says the owld chap, cocking up his horns consaitedly; 'honour bright,' says he. 'Well then,' says the colonel, 'build me a mill, down there, by the river,' says he, 'and let me have it finished by to-morrow mornin'.' 'Your will is my pleasure,' says the owld chap, and away he wint; and the colonel thought he had nicked Owld Nick at last, and wint to bed quite aisy in his mind. But, _jewel machree_, sure the first thing he heerd the next mornin' was that the whole counthry round was runnin' to see a fine bran new mill that was an the river-side, where the evening before not a thing at all, at all, but rushes was standin', and all, of coorse, wonderin' what brought it there; and some sayin' 'twas not lucky, and many more throubled in their mind, but one and all agreein' it was no _good_; and that's the very mill forninst you. But when the colonel heered it he was more throubled than any, of coorse, and began to conthrive what else he could think iv to keep himself out iv the claws of the _owld one_. Well, he often heerd tell that there was one thing the divil never could do, and I darsay you heerd it too, sir,--that is, that he couldn't make a rope out of the sands of the say; and so when the _owld one_ kem to him the next day and said his job was done, and that now the mill was built he must either tell him somethin' else he wanted done, or come away wid him. So the colonel said he saw it was all over wid him. 'But,' says he, 'I wouldn't like to go wid you alive, and sure it's all the same to you, alive or dead?' 'Oh, that won't do,' says his frind; 'I can't wait no more,' says he. 'I don't want you to wait, my dear frind,' says the colonel; 'all I want is, that you'll be plased to kill me before you take me away.' 'With pleasure,' says Owld Nick. 'But will you promise me my choice of dyin' one partic'lar way?' says the colonel. 'Half a dozen ways, if it plazes you,' says he. 'You're mighty obleegin',' says the colonel; 'and so,' says he, 'I'd rather die by bein' hanged with a rope _made out of the sands of the say_,' says he, lookin' mighty knowin' at the _owld fellow_. 'I've always one about me,' says the divil, 'to obleege my frinds,' says he; and with that he pulls out a rope made of sand, sure enough.