Handy Andy, Volume 2 a Tale of Irish Life
Lover, Samuel, 1797-1868
English
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Below is a summary of Handy Andy, Volume 2 a Tale of Irish Life
HANDY ANDY
A Tale of Irish Life
IN TWO VOLUMES--VOLUME TWO
THE COLLECTED WRITINGS OF SAMUEL LOVER (V. 4)
[Illustration: Tom Organ Loftus' Coldairian System]
[Illustration: Tom Connor's Cat]
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS VOLUME TWO
Tom Organ Loftus' Coldairian System
Tom Connor's Cat
Andy's Cooking Extraordinary
Tom Organ Loftus and the Duke
The Abduction
A Crack Shot
The Challenge
The Party at Killarney
_Etched by W. H. W. Bicknell from drawings by Samuel Lover_
CHAPTER XXII
The night was pitch dark, and on rounding the adjacent corner no vehicle
could be seen; but a peculiar whistle from Dick was answered by the sound
of approaching wheels and the rapid footfalls of a horse, mingled with the
light rattle of a smart gig. On the vehicle coming up, Dick took his
little mare, that was blacker than the night, by the head, the apron of
the gig was thrown down, and out jumped a smart servant-boy.
"You have the horse ready, too, Billy?"
"Yis, sir," said Billy, touching his hat.
"Then follow, and keep up with me, remember."
"Yis, sir."
"Come to her head, here," and he patted the little mare's neck as he spoke
with a caressing "whoa," which was answered by a low neigh of
satisfaction, while the impatient pawing of her fore foot showed the
animal's desire to start. "What an impatient little devil she is," said
Dick, as he mounted the gig; "I'll get in first, Murphy, as I'm going to
drive. Now up with you--hook on the apron--that's it--are you all right?"
"Quite," said Murphy.
"Then you be into your saddle and after us, Billy," said Dick; "and now
let her go."
Billy gave the little black mare her head, and away she went, at a
slapping pace, the fire from the road answering the rapid strokes of her
nimble feet. The servant then mounted a horse which was tied to a
neighbouring palisade, and had to gallop for it to come up with his
master, who was driving with a swiftness almost fearful, considering the
darkness of the night and the narrowness of the road he had to traverse,
for he was making the best of his course by cross-ways to an adjacent
roadside inn, where some non-resident electors were expected to arrive
that night by a coach from Dublin; for the county town had every nook and
cranny occupied, and this inn was the nearest point where they could get
any accommodation.
Now don't suppose that they were electors whom Murphy and Dick in their
zeal for their party were going over to greet with hearty welcomes and
bring up to the poll the next day. By no means. They were the friends of
the opposite party, and it was with the design of retarding their
movements that this night's excursion was undertaken. These electors were
a batch of plain citizens from Dublin, whom the Scatterbrain interest had
induced to leave the peace and quiet of the city to tempt the wilds of the
country at that wildest of times--during a contested election; and a night
coach was freighted inside and out with the worthy cits, whose aggregate
voices would be of immense importance the next day; for the contest was
close, the county nearly polled out, and but two days more for the
struggle. Now, to intercept these plain unsuspecting men was the object of
Murphy, whose well-supplied information had discovered to him this plan of
the enemy, which he set about countermining. As they rattled over the
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