O'FLAHERTY. By bringing me up to be more afraid of running away
than of fighting. I was timid by nature; and when the other boys
hurted me, I'd want to run away and cry. But she whaled me for
disgracing the blood of the O'Flahertys until I'd have fought the
divil himself sooner than face her after funking a fight. That
was how I got to know that fighting was easier than it looked,
and that the others was as much afeard of me as I was of them,
and that if I only held out long enough they'd lose heart and
give rip. That's the way I came to be so courageous. I tell you,
Sir Pearce, if the German army had been brought up by my mother,
the Kaiser would be dining in the banqueting hall at Buckingham
Palace this day, and King George polishing his jack boots for him
in the scullery.

SIR PEARCE. But I don't like this, O'Flaherty. You can't go on
deceiving your mother, you know. It's not right.

O'FLAHERTY. Can't go on deceiving her, can't I? It's little you
know what a son's love can do, sir. Did you ever notice what a
ready liar I am?

SIR PEARCE. Well, in recruiting a man gets carried away. I
stretch it a bit occasionally myself. After all, it's for king
and country. But if you won't mind my saying it, O'Flaherty, I
think that story about your fighting the Kaiser and the twelve
giants of the Prussian guard singlehanded would be the better for
a little toning down. I don't ask you to drop it, you know; for
it's popular, undoubtedly; but still, the truth is the truth.
Don't you think it would fetch in almost as many recruits if you