'Well, Patrick, let us take a start now, then,' said Henry.

'Stop a bit, if ye plase, master Henry, till I ask yer honor a bit of a
question. Is there any wild bastes on this elligant little island?'

'Not that I know of. But what made you think of that, Patrick?'

'Faith, an it was just this, then, your honor. Ould Father McGrave,
rest to his sowl, who was the parish praste at Bully Bannon, when I
was a wee bit spalpeen of a boy, used to tell me that in 'forrin'
places like this, where the sun was as hot as purgatory all the year
round, there was a great plinty of tigers and illifonts, [meaning
probably--elephants,] and sarpints, and all other kinds of savage
bastes. Now I jest thought, master Henry, if that was the case here, I
would just cut a couple of "shillalahs," one for each of us, off of
yonder tree, as they might work in handy in case of accidint.'

'Although there is no danger of our being attacked by wild bastes, as
you call them,' replied Henry, smiling at the simplicity of the honest
Patlander, 'still, the shillalahs may not come amiss, so make haste and
cut them, and then we will set out upon our journey,'

Having thus gained Huntington's permission, Pat O'Leary lost no time in
repairing to the tree which he has before mentioned, where he selected
two of its branches, which he thought suitable to his purposes, he
quickly cut them from their parent trunk with his jacknife, and returned
with them to Henry, who chose the shortest one of the two, and then
said:--

'Now, Patrick, as they have all gone off and left this spot, it is time