“Boys,” said Tim Dolan, “how will we manage now with this thief of a schoolmaster, at all?  Come, Jack Traynor, you that’s up to still-house work—­escapin’ and carryin’ away stills from gaugers, the bloody villains! out wid yer spake, till we hear your opinion.”

“Do ye think, boys,” said Andy Connell, “that we could flatter him to come by fair mains?”

“Flatther him!” said Traynor; “and, by my sowl, if we flatther him at all, it must be by the hair of the head.  No, no; let us bring him first, whether he will or not, an’ ax his consent aftherwards!”

“I’ll tell you what it is, boys,” continued Connell, “I’ll hould a wager, if you lave him to me, I’ll bring him wid his own consint.”

“No, nor sorra that you’ll do, nor could do,” replied Traynor:  “for, along wid every thing else, he thinks he’s not jist doated on by the Findramore people, being one of the Ballyscanlan tribe.  No, no; let two of us go to his place, and purtind that we have other business in the fair of Clansallagh on Monday next, and ax him in to dhrink, for he’ll not refuse that, any how; then, when he’s half tipsy, ax him to convoy us this far; we’ll then meet you here, an’ tell him some palaver or other—­sit down where we are now, and, afther making him dead dhrunk, hoist a big stone in the creel, and Mat in the sack, on the other side, wid his head out, and off wid him; and he will know neither act nor part about it till we’re at Findramore.”

Having approved of this project, they pulled out each a substantial complement of stout oaten bread, which served, along with the whiskey, for breakfast.  The two persons pitched on for decoying Mat were Dolan and Traynor, who accordingly set out, full of glee at the singularity and drollness of their undertaking.  It is unnecessary to detail the ingenuity with which they went about it, because, in consequence of Kavanagh’s love of drink, very little ingenuity was necessary.  One circumstance, however, came to light, which gave them much encouragement, and that was a discovery that Mat by no means relished his situation.

In the meantime, those who stayed behind in the glen felt their patience begin to flag a little, because of the delay made by the others, who had promised, if possible, to have the schoolmaster in the glen before two o’clock.  But the fact was, that Mat, who was far less deficient in hospitality than in learning, brought them into his house, and not only treated them to plenty of whiskey, but made the wife prepare a dinner, for which he detained them, swearing, that except they stopped to partake of it, he would not convoy them to the place appointed.  Evening was, therefore, tolerably far advanced, when they made their appearance at the glen, in a very equivocal state of sobriety—­Mat being by far the steadiest of the three, but still considerably the worse for what he had taken.  He was now welcomed by a general huzza; and on his expressing surprise at their appearance, they pointed to their horses, telling him that they were bound for the fair of Clansallagh, for the purpose of selling them.  This was the more probable, as, when a fair occurs in Ireland, it is usual for cattle-dealers, particularly horse-jockeys, to effect sales, and “show” their horses on the evening before.