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FRENK’ READE AND HIS STEAM HORSE, 3
ing-room, or, be the bright buckles on me shoes,
Tit have to ingage some wan ilse toikape;the
house;.to kapethe house for me, and,not the
pigs, mind ye, Mrs. Faylix O’Doolahan.”.
“T moind, squire.” - . a
“Thin see that I don’t have to sphake again
about the matter,” said Esquire Barney Shea,
putting his thumbs under the arm-holes of his
red silk vest and puffing out his chest in the most
important manner; “and now I’m gomg to
sthroll down to the town for an airin’, Mrs,
O’Doolahan.” oe
‘A pleasant walk to ye this foine summer’s
marning, sir,” said Mrs. O’Doolahan, gropping
him a courtesy; and then Burney walked off wit!
a stately step toward tho village, looking back at
every few steps to glance with pride at the neat
eottage,{surrounded with many well-cultivated
acres, which were all his own.
"That same,” said Bamey, °. . °
“We moind the lad,” they said., ©. - 31
“Thin moind this,” said Barney. “The young
jaynus has been afther invintin’ a harse that goes
be sthame.” oo . ort
“A harse?? = * :
**Do yez manea rale horse, squire?”. |
“ Musha, my Lord, are ye joking, squire?”
** Be the goat of St. Kevin’s cavern that’s the
bate of atl.” . :
And they held up their hands in the greatest
wonder. - ; ‘
“Tmane it,” said Barney, ‘It’s a harse, and
avy coorse it must be constructed of iron or
sthale.” =~ .
. * An’ goes be sthame?”
“It will that same,” said Barney. ‘Ob, I
must go to Ameriky to take a jaunt at this won-
dherful Sthame Harse. Look ye, Michael MeGar-
2 :
And this was the same Barney Shea who had | raha
roamed over the prairies of Western America, kill-
ing Indians and robbers, and reveling in rows
and ructions. a oo.
He had come to this township of Clonakilty
with a few thousands of dollars in shining gold,
- , had purchased a house and land to the surprise
of ~his‘envious neighbors, had been dubbed
“ Esquire,” in honor of his wealth, and was now |.
living the quiet life of an Irish gentleman,
But he was growing tired of it.
It was very nice to be called “
ceive the respectful homage of all the
and the friendly hand of other squires—men
whom he used to look up td in days gone by; but
it wasn’t equal to asmushing, rip-tearing rumpus
with a cut-throat band of murderous redskins
and black-hearted white men. _
He was growing rusty and out of practice for
the want of use; and, as he thought as much of
. fighting as a woman does of eating, this hum-
drum life was not well calculated to suit him. . ~
He walked leisurely into the town, and was
saluted on all sides with respect.
hen he entered the post-office several voices
saluted him: ~
‘** Tho top 0’ the marnin’ to ye, Squire Shea.”
“Long life to ye, Squire Shea.” .
uire ” and re-)
“‘And there’s a letther for ye, Esquire Barney Dp:
Shea,” said the postmaster, handing out a yellow
envelope. ‘It’s from Ameriky.” :
** Oh, ayo,” mumbled Barney, with a wise look
on his mug; “ wan a’ me furrin’ correspondents,
you moind.” my
And then he sat down on the chair and broke
the seal of the letter, while around him sat the 3
staring and gaping countrymen, anxious to hear
something from the far off land, and looking up
with great admiration and respect to the man who
had a foreign correspondent.
And this is the letter that made Barney Shea’s
eyes sparkle:
“FRIEND Banner :—How are you Squire Shea?
How does yeur lordship-feel? I have met with
your cousin, Patrick McSpalten, and he has told
me all about your being one of the bigest men in
your parts, but he also said that you talked about
paying a visit to this land some time, and that’s
why I write to you. « :
“Barney, my rip-snorter, you remember what
I said I’d do, don’t you? I said that if it could be
done I'd make a horse that should go by steam,
and now, old boy, I tell you that I’ve done it.
“ T’ve built my horse, and every part is perfect,
and there’s no reason why I can’t go whistling
over the plains like some rocket on a tear. Ob!
what fun I’m going to have with the reds. You
bet Tl wake ’em up at the liveliest rate. .
“Now Barney, I want you to come out here to
my house in New York, and start with me for the | 9
West. My horse is all finished, and, by the time
that you get here, I shall have the wagon ready
‘to harness on the animal. Charley orse and
his Steam Man will travel over the plains with us
when we reach the West, and you can have full
scope for your fighting tendencies among the
reds and the rascally whites, Come out, if onl
to takea ride behind my Steam Horse, and Til
promise to raise more rough and tumble rum-
posses in one week on the plains than you'll have
Ireland in a year,
. “ Byer your friend, .
“ FRANK READE.” -
“Tare an’ ouns,” cried Barney, when he read
‘the letter through, by dint of much study and
patient spelling, ‘‘did yez iver hear the loikes o’
“that now?” : .
And then, observing that they wero all looking
-at him with surprise, ho turned to them, and
Bald : . :
- “Whist, me lads; ye moind that powerful
young jaynus I was talking, about so often to
27” ae
“Tho gossoon wid the mon that wint bo
‘athame?” asked one, .
asantry | |
n.? = :
> “Yis, Squire Shea,” said a young man, step-
ping forward with his hat between his fingers.
“T moind that yo’rea loikely soort o’ lad,
Michael.” .
“Yis, squire; thank ye, squire.” an
“And be the same token that nate little col-
leen—what’s her name?” Ss
“Kathleen O’Shaugnessy, yer honor,” ‘said
Michael; ‘that’s the wan yer honor must
mane.” : .
“Aye, Kathlcen smiles on ye, but ye’re too poor
to go togither to the praste.” .
* Yis, squire.” , .
“Thin I give yez both a foine chance to rise in
the worruld, for I know that ye’ro an honest
couple and'll not rob me whin I’m away. ’’m
going to atti Clonakilty.” : :
aire.”
“Oh, sq
* Don’t go.” 4 . | .
“Musha, my God, phat'll wedo widout our
pratecs?” .
“And the pigs at Michaelmas?”
“e And the grain for me harse whin me fecd runs
o .
“And tho two chickens for coe’s-broth whin me
wife’s sick?” .
“Qh, Squire Shea, don’t yez go.”
And they all crowded around the good-hearted
armey. .
He had stood between them and poverty a
great many times since he became a squire, and
ipey Were not anxious to have him depart from
em. .
“Be aisy, boys, be aisy,” said Barney. “Tl
lave full instruction wid me agent here, Michael
IcGarrahan, to give aich of ye whaterer I've
given yez afore, so ye’ll not lose by me layin yez.
Michael shall marry his naté colleen, an’ take
charge of me house and land; and I'll be off to
Ameriky with the first ship that laves afther
Michael gits married, for I'll sthay to dance at his
weddin’, and thin I'll be off. Now I must go
home and write a letther to the jaynus, tellin’ the
lad to look for me soon. Good-day.” :
“*Good-day, Squire Shea,” cried they all, and
away walked Barney, with his head thrown back.
h And then he sent tho following letter to our
“Frank, me brave gossoon:—It’s delighted
wid ye intirely, I am, A Sthume Horse, you
wondherful little divil, ye? Oh, ye’re a rale
jaynus, and ye’ll make yer mark, as I tould Mrs,
aylix O’Doolahan (she’s me housekeeper, do ye
moind), and she allowed ye war a brave gossoon
to invent such a conthrivance, and she not able
to keep the sow and her nine smallsows and pigs
out o’ me schmokin’ room half the time; but of
coorse I'll come over and ride out west wid yo
behind yer Sthame Horse, as I tould Mrs. Faylix
’Doolahan, me housekeeper—bad luck to me, I
tould ye that before, but the sow and litter jist
hopped across the flure between me legs, and’
want ye to moind that I’m ready and spoilin’ for
a rale knock ’em down an’ pick: ’em up shindy
wid the—-there’s the sow an’ the pigs agen, and
they’ve upset me birdseye terbaccy, and ll
thravel all round wid ye over the land, and I
want to sec Charley Goorse, and—there goes my
pipe in the little pig’s mouth—so look for me on
the first ship afther Michael McGarrahan gits
married to Kathleen O’Shaugnessy, and I’m go-
ing to tell Mrs. Faylix O’Doolahan to kape the
igs away, or I'll stick the troublesome divils
tween the ribs, and I’m yer sincere friend, that
be wid yer soon, to ride wid the Sthame Harse.
: * Barney Suea,”
CHAPTER Ut.
THE RACE.
Six weeks after the incidents narrated in tho
previous chapter had taken place, our young
Fenius was at work in his favorite shed, trying
the strength of his wagon in all parts, when tho
rear door of his father’s house was thrown open
and our Hibernian friend rushed down the walk
yelling out at the top of a sound pair of lungs:
“‘ Frank, me brave gossoon.”
** Barney!” gladly cried the boy, and then he -
deserted his work and sprang forward to meet his
old friend. .
“You dear old rollicking roarer,” he said, seiz-
ing Barney’s hand with a fervor that attested his
liking for the big-hearted Irishman. ‘How are
Mrs. O’Doolah—I beg her pardon, Mrs. Faylix -
O’Doolahan and the pigs?” : .
“Well an’ hearty,” laughed Barney. “And how
do I foind ye!” . . . :
-“ In the same condition as Mrs. O’Doolahan and
the porkers,” smiled Frank,
“And up till your eyes in woruk?” -
“Right,” said Frank. “Itold you I could do
it, and I’ve done it. Just walk into the workshop
and look at my nag.”
“T will that,” said Barney; and into the wood- ©
shed he and: Frank tramped.
““Musha my God, but that’s nate!” muttered
Shea, gazing with admiration and some wonder
at the noble looking steed of metal that stood
there. ; ** An’ yo have the conthrivance all com-
ate?” -
“ Every bit.”
_ An’ can he travel?” -
. “Like a flash. I wouldn't hesitate to go fifty
miles an hour.” : \
“Howly smoke, fifty moiles in wan hour.”
. “Yes, sir, ona good road.” ‘ .
“ An’ yo can manage the masheen?”
“*Oh, yes,” said Frank, “nothing oasier intho.
world. That strong leather rein that you see
running to either side of his mouth will control
his movements as quickly as they can be handled.
And I can make the old nag turn just as easily.
I'll tell you how that’s done.” 5
“*Gb on,” said Barney.
“Were you ever lost?” asked Frank,
“Tn a pace 0’ woods, is it yer mane, or the
loiks o’ that?” | .
Oe Yes,” 7 -
'* Mony’s the toime.’’ .
And could you walk straight ahead?”
“Divil the straight. I wint areund in a big
circle all the toime, an’ jist when I theught I wur
coming out all right, what would I do but fetch
up siap dist where Ista om.”
“Exactly,”
the reason?”
* Divil the wan do I knaw.” -
“Well, sir,” said the genius, “it is because one
leg isalways weaker than the other, with every-
body, and if you shut your eyes se that you can’t
see where you're going you'll travel right or left
according to which leg is weaker, for the strong
one is sure to swing around towards it in conse-
quence of taking @ longer and stronger step.
Now, [I have divided my power so that I can put
it on one side, and therefore by pulling a little
harder on the left rein than on the other I go to
the right, thus having to steer reversedly.” ~ |
“T see,” said Barney; ‘an’ ye got that nato
idea from yer own legs?” =: . : .
“Exactly,” said Frank, ‘Now, just take a
peep at my wagon.” : :
The vehicle was a very solidly. constructed
affair, much heavier than a live horse would have
cared to travel before, but the limbs of the Steam
Horse were powerful and tireless,
Tho wagon was all made in small but neatly fit-
ting sections, and all the several joints were made
of rubber, so that the very fastest time over a
rough road need not subject the occupants of the
affair to any. severo jolting, and this fore-
thqught on the part of the boy was warmly praised
he Irishman. - .
‘Hero at the back of the wagon,” said Frank,
{| “I have my vats for holding water, and those
long pipes you seo here will run along to the
shafts, then from a ring they curve up to tho
haunches, and supply water to my boiler. Here
at the sides J intend to carry a supply of sea coal,
while I can make it last, and when I run out Pll
use wood or anything I can get, for my furnace
will consume anything, and all I want from it is
heat, and turf will give me that. ‘Then in the
center will be placed that wonderful trunk of
mine, and I have made clasps to hold it down,
I've invented a whole lot of new infernal con-
trivances, and I intend to scare the redskins out
of their seven senses on this trip.”
‘Ye ean do it,” confidently asserted his ad.
miring friend; ‘‘ ye have the jaynus.”
“T will mako their hair rise,” said Frank,
“ An’ is Goorse well?” asked Barnoy,
“ First-class,” said Frank.
“He's a broth of a boy,” said Shea, “ Well,
and yshin do we sthartaway for fighting and fd:
mn?
**Oho,” laughed Frarik, ‘and do you mean to
say that you've brought your fadle with you
again?”
d ar
said Frank, “ And don’t you know .