254
MANY INVENTIONS
Mackie's ind. Wait while I remember now. "Twas whin I was in the Black Tyrone, an' he was drafted us from Portsmouth; an' fwhat was his mishegotten name? Larry—Larry Tighe ut was; an' wan of the draft said he was a gentleman-ranker, an' Larry tuk an' three-parts killed him for saying so, An' he wasa big man, an' a strong man, an' a handsome man, an' that tells heavy in practice wid some women, but, takin' them by an' large, not wid all. Yet 'twas wid all that Larry dealt—«l/—for he cud put the comether on any woman that trod the green earth av God, an' he knew ut. Like Mackie that's roastin' now, he knew ut, an' niver did he put the comether on any woman save an' excipt for the black shame. "Tis not me that shud be talkin', dear knows, dear knows, but the most av my mis—zmisallinces was for pure devilry, an' mighty sorry I have been whin harm came; an' time an' again wid a girl, ay, an' a woman too, for the matter av that, whin I have seen by the eyes av her that I was makin' more throuble than I talked, I have hild off an' let be for the sake av the mother that bore me. But Larry, I'm thinkin', he was suckled by a shedivil, for he never let wan go that came nigh to listen to him. "Twas his business, as if it might ha' ben sinthry-go. He was a good soldier too. Now there was the Colonel's governess—an' he a privit too!—that was never known in barricks; an' wan av the Major's maids, and she was promised to a man; an' some more outside; an' fwhat ut was amongst vs we'll never know till Judgment Day. "Iwas the nature av the baste to put the comether on the best av thim—not the prettiest by any manner av manes—but the like ay such women as you cud lay your hand on the Book an' swear there