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Wan av us will loose off, an' a close shot ut will be, an' shame to the man that misses. 'Twill be Mulvaney's rifle, she that that is at the head av the rack there's no mistakin' long-shtocked, cross-eyed bitch even in the dhark. "The thief misnamed my ould firin'-piece out av jealousy I was pershuaded av that an' ut made me more angry than all.
They drank my health in due and ancient form, and thereafter tobacco tasted sweeter than ever. They absorbed all the beer, and disposed themselves in picturesque attitudes to admire the setting sun no man speaking for a while. Mulvaney's head dropped upon his chest, and we thought that he was asleep. "What on earth did you come so far for?" I whispered to Ortheris. "To walk 'im orf, o' course.
He had taken the precaution of getting three days' leave "to see a friend on the railway," and the colonel, well knowing that the seasonal outburst was near, and hoping it would spend its force beyond the limits of his jurisdiction, cheerfully gave him all he demanded. At this point Mulvaney's history, as recorded in the mess-room, stopped. Ortheris carried it not much further.
Almost before Ortheris had deftly thrown all the rifles of the Guard on Mulvaney's bedstead, the Irishman's voice was uplifted as that of one in the middle of a story, and, turning to me, he said 'In barricks or out of it, as you say, Sorr, an Oirish rig'mint is the divil an' more. 'Tis only fit for a young man wid eddicated fisteses.
'But Vulmea goes on: "O'Hara will dhrop, an' by the time the light's lit again, there'll be some six av us on the chest av Mulvaney, cryin' murdher an' rape. Mulvaney's cot is near the ind door, an' the shmokin' rifle will be lyin' undher him whin we've knocked him over. We know, an' all the rig'mint knows, that Mulvaney has given O'Hara more lip than any man av us.
I thought a good deal, but it seemed better then to reach out for Mulvaney's hand. The demonstration nearly cost me the use of three fingers. Whatever he knows of his weaknesses, Mulvaney is entirely ignorant of his strength. 'But what do you think? he repeated, as I was straightening out the crushed fingers.
Mulvaney, I'll bet, filled full of whiskey and keeping the heathen on the jump, and Airy Fairy Lillian, or some other daisy with winning ways, disturbing the peace of mind of half a dozen dukes. Mulvaney's all right, but the Duchess! They'll be taking books of that kind to the mast-head next. What d'y' s'pose I found aft the other day? Now what d'y' s'pose? I'll bet you'd never guess. No, no.
Privit, I tell ye. Wid Privit Mulvaney's best obedience, that but for me the last time-expired wud be still pullin' hair on their way to the sea." He threw himself back in the chair, chuckled, and was silent. "Mrs. Mulvaney," I said, "please take up the whiskey, and don't let him have it until he has told the story."
They drank my health in due and ancient form, and thereafter tobacco tasted sweeter than ever. They absorbed all the beer, and disposed themselves in picturesque attitudes to admire the setting sun no man speaking for a while. Mulvaney's head dropped upon his chest, and we thought that he was asleep. 'What on earth did you come so far for? I whispered to Ortheris. 'To walk 'im orf, o' course.
"Dhrumshticks" was the nickname of the Colonel commanding Mulvaney's old regiment. "Will you be seein' him again? You will. Thin tell him" Mulvaney's eyes began to twinkle "tell him wid Privit" "Mister, Terence," interrupted Dinah Shadd. "Now the Divil an' all his angils an' the Firmament av Hiven fly away wid the 'Mister, an' the sin av making me swear be on your confession, Dinah Shadd!
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