The Ned M'Keown Stories: Traits And Stories Of The Irish Peasantry, The Works of; William Carleton, Volume ThreeCarleton, William
General
The Ned M'Keown Stories: Traits And Stories Of The Irish Peasantry, The Works of; William Carleton, Volume Three
Carleton, William
Ireland -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
“'Now, your sowl, that does you, any way--(crack,
whack)--hurro!--huzza!--huzza!--Man for man, boys--an O'Hallaghan's
done for--whoo! for our side--tol-deroll, folderoll, tow, row,
row--huzza!--fol-deroll, fol-deroll, tow, row, row, huzza for the
O'Callaghans!'
“From this moment the battle became delightful; it was now pelt and welt
on both sides, but many of the kippeens were broken: many of the boys
had their fighting arms disabled by a dislocation, or bit of fracture,
and those weren't equal to more than doing a little upon such as were
down.
“In the midst of the din, such a dialogue as this might be heard:
“'Larry, you're after being done for, for this day.' (Whack, crack.)
“'Only an eye gone--is that Mickey?' (whick, whack, crick, crack.)
“'That's it, my darlings!--you may say that, Larry--'tis my mother's
son that's in it--(crack, crack,--a general huzza.): (Mickey and
Larry) huzza! huzza! huzza for the O'Hallaghans! What have you got,
Larry?--(crack, crack).
“'Only the bone of my arm, God be praised for it, very purtily snapt
across!' (whack, whack).
“'Is that all? Well, some people have luck!'--(crack, crack, crack).
“'Why I've no reason to complain, thank God--(whack, crack!)--purty play
that, any way--Paddy O'Callaghan's settled--did you hear it?--(whack,
whack, another shout)--That's it boys--handle the shilleleys!--Success
O'Hallaghans--down with the bloody O'Callaghans!'
“'I did hear it: so is Jem O'Hallaghan--(crack, whack, whack,
crack)--you're not able to get up, I see--tare-an-ounty, isn't it a
pleasure to hear that play?--What ails you?'
“'Oh, Larry, I'm in great pain, and getting very weak,
entirely'--(faints).
“'Faix, and he's settled too, I'm thinking.'
“'Oh, murdher, my arm!' (One of the O'Callaghans attacks him--crack,
crack)--
“'Take that, you vagabone!'--(whack, whack).
“' Murdher, murdher, is it strikin' a down man you're after?--foul,
foul, and my arm broke!'--(crack, crack).
“'Take that, with what you got before, and it'll ase you, maybe.'
“(A party of the O'Hallaghans attack the man who is beating him).
“'Murdher, murdher!'--(crack, whack, whack, crack, crack, whack).
“'Lay on him, your sowls to pirdition--lay on him, hot and heavy--give
it to him! He sthruck me and me down wid my broken arm!'
“'Foul, ye thieves of the world!--(from the O'Callaghan)--foul! five
against one--give me fair play!--(crack, crack, crack)--Oh!--(whack)
Oh, oh, oh!'--(falls senseless, covered with blood).
“'Ha, hell's cure to you, you bloody thief; you didn't spare me with
my arm broke'--(Another general shout.) 'Bad end to it, isn't it a poor
case entirely, that I can't even throw up my caubeen, let alone join in
the diversion.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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