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