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
“The battle now blazed out afresh; and all kinds of instruments were
pressed into I the service. Some got flails, some spades, some shovels,
and one man got his hands upon a scythe, with which, unquestionably,
he would have taken more lives than one; but, very fortunately, as he
sallied out to join the crowd, he was politely visited in the back of
the head by a brick-bat, which had a mighty convincing way with it of
giving him a peaceable disposition, for he instantly lay down, and did
not seem at all anxious as to the result of the battle. The O'Hallaghans
were now compelled to give way, owing principally to the introvention of
John O'Ohallaghan, who, although he was as good as sworn to take no part
in the contest, was compelled to fight merely to protect himself. But,
blood-and-turf! when he did begin, he was dreadful. As soon as his party
saw him engaged, they took fresh courage, and in a short time made the
O'Hallaghan's retreat up the church-yard. I never saw anything equal to
John; he absolutely sent them down in dozens; and when a man would give
him any inconvenience with the stick, he would down him with the fist,
for right and left were all alike to him. Poor Rose's brother and he
met, both roused like two lions; but when John saw who it was, he held
back his hand:--
“'No, Tom,' says he, 'I'll not strike you, for Rose's sake. I'm not
fighting through ill will to you or your family; so take another
direction, for I can't strike you.'
“The blood, however, was unfortunately up in Tom.
“'We'll decide it now,' said he, 'I'm as good a man as you, O'Callaghan:
and let me whisper this in your ears--you'll never warm the one bed
with Rose, while's God's in heaven--it's past that now--there can be I
nothing but blood between us!'
“At this juncture two of the O'Callaghans ran with their shillelaghs up,
to beat down Tom on the spot.
“'Stop, boys!' said John, 'you mustn't touch him; he had no hand in the
quarrel. Go, boys, if you respect me; lave him to myself.'
“The boys withdrew to another part of the fight; and the next instant
Tom struck the very man that interfered to save him, across the temple,
and cut him severely. John put his hand up and staggered.
“'I'm sorry for this,' he observed; 'but it's now self-defence with me;'
and at the same moment, with one blow, he left Tom O'Hallaghan stretched
insensible on the street.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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