Reillaghan and M’Kenna both reached the chapel a considerable time before the arrival of the priest; and as a kind of Whiteboy committee was to sit for the purpose of investigating their conduct in holding out so dangerous an example as they did, by striking each other, contrary to their oaths as brothers under the same system, they accordingly were occupied each in collecting his friends, and conciliating those whom they supposed to be hostile to them on the opposite party.  It had been previously arranged that this committee should hold a court of inquiry, and that, provided they could not agree, the matter was to be referred to two hedge-schoolmasters, who should act as umpires; but if it happened that the latter could not decide it, there was no other tribunal appointed to which a final appeal could be made.

According to these regulations, a court was opened in a shebeen-house, that stood somewhat distant from the road.  Twelve young fellows seated themselves on each side of a deal table, with one of the umpires at each end of it, and a bottle of whiskey in the middle.  In a higher sphere of life it is usual to refer such questionable conduct as occurs in duelling, to the arbitration of those who are known to be qualified by experience in the duello.  On this occasion the practice was not much departed from, those who had been thus selected as the committee being the notoriously pugnacious “boys” in the whole parish.

“Now, boys,” said one of the schoolmasters, “let us proceed to operations wid proper spirit,” and he filled a glass of whiskey as he spoke.  “Here’s all your healths, and next, pace and unanimity to us!  Call in the culprits.”

Both were accordingly admitted, and the first speaker resumed—­“Now, in the second place, I’ll read yez that part of the oath which binds us all under the obligation of not strikin’ one another—­hem! hem!  ’No brother is to strike another, knowing him to be such; he’s to strike him—­hem!—­neither in fair nor market, at home nor abroad, neither in public nor in private, neither on Sunday nor week-day, present or absent, nor—­’”

“I condimn that,” observed the other master—­“I condimn it, as bein’ too latitudinarian in principle, an’ containing a para-dogma; besides it’s bad grammar.”

“You’re rather airly in the market wid your bad grammar,” replied the other:  “I’ll grant you the paradogma, but I’ll stand up for the grammar of it, while I’m able to stand up for anything.”

“Faith, an’ if you rise to stand up for that,” replied his friend, “and doesn’t choose to sit down till you prove it to be good grammar, you’ll be a standin’ joke all your life.”

“I bleeve it’s purty conspicuous in the parish, that I have often, in our disputations about grammar, left you widout a leg to stand upon at all,” replied the other.

This sally was well received, but his opponent was determined to push home the argument at once.