“And by all accounts, it 's the devil to ride,” resumed the old fellow; “now it's the head down and the loins up, and then a roll to one side, and then to the other, and a twist in the small of your back, as if it were coming in two. Oh, by the good day! Dick gave me as bad as a stitch in the side just telling me about it.” “But where did he get his experience, Martin? I never heard of it before,” said Daly. “He was a fortnight in Egypt, sir,” said the old farmer. “He was in a frigate, or a man-of-war of one kind or another, off--the devil a one o' me knows well where it was, but there was a consul there, a son of one of his father's tenants--indeed, ould French got him the place from the Government--and when he found out that Dick was on board the ship, what does he do but writes him an invitation to pass a week or ten days with him at his house, and that he 'd show him some sport. 'We 've elegant hunting,' says he; 'not foxes or hares, but a big bird, bigger nor a goose, they call--'By my conscience, I 'll forget my own name next, for I heard Dick tell the story at least twenty times.” “Was it an ostrich?” said Tom. “No; nor an oyster either, Mr. Conolly,” said the old fellow, who thought the question was meant to quiz him. “'T was an ibis, Martin,” cried Daly,--“an ibis.” “The devil a doubt of it,--that's the name. A crayture with legs as long as Mr. Beecham O'Reilly's, and a way of going--half-flying, half-walking--almost impossible to catch; and they hunt him on dromedaries. Dick liked the notion well, and as he was a favorite on board, he got lave for three days to go on shore and have his fun; though the captain said, at parting, 'It's not many dromedaries you'll see, Dick, for the Pasha has them all up the country at this time.' This was true enough; sorra a bit of a camel or dromedary could be seen for miles round. But however it was, the consul kept his word, and had one for Dick the next morning,--a great strapping baste, all covered with trappings of one kind or other; elegant shawls and little hearthrugs all over him.