head may go off, any day, and welcome, but death before dishonor. Say no
more, darling; but tell your father I'll be to my dinner immediately.'

"Notwithstanding all this, by jingo, the lady would not be put off; like
a raal woman, she'd have her own way; so on telling Jack that she didn't
intend to work with the shovel, at all, at all, but only to take it for
a minute in her hand, at long last he gave it to her; she then struck
it three times on the threshel of the door, and, giving it back into his
hand, tould him to try what he could do. Well, sure enough, now there
was a change; for, instead of three shovelfuls coming in, as before,
when he threw one out, there went nine more along with it. Jack,
in coorse, couldn't do less than thank the lovely crathur for her
assistance; but when he raised his head to speak to her, she was gone.
I needn't say, howsomever, that he went in to his dinner with a light
heart and a murdhering appetite; and when the ould fellow axed him how
he was coming on, Jack tould him he was doing gloriously. 'Remember the
empty hook, Jack,' said he. 'Never fear, your honor,' answered Jack, 'if
I don't finish my task, you may bob my head off anytime.'

"Jack now went out, and was a short time getting through his job, for
before the sun set it was finished, and he came into the kitchen, ate
his supper, and, sitting down before the fire, sung 'Love among the
Roses,' and the 'Black Joke,' to vex the ould fellow.

"This was one task over, and his head was safe for that bout; but that
night, before he went to bed, his master called him upstairs, brought
him into the bloody room, and gave him his orders for the next day.
'Jack,' says he, 'I have a wild filly that has never been caught,
and you must go to my demesne to-morrow, and catch her, or if you
don't--look there,' says the big blackguard, 'on that hook it hangs,