THE VENDETTA.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 930, 24 September 1910, Page 12

THE VENDETTA.

A SKETCH FROM LIFE.'

(By Wi.)

'■[Note—Asthe principal characters in this, sTietch are'still :alive, I wish to remain eo, their. halve been discreetly- .veiled under '■; fictitioua names,' Por the restj I am 1 going" to' -teH- \ .what actually happened.].. .(■■■. .' .-. " ;.V When Joey - heir-to the. eomo- . what precarious estate ..of Barney O'lieilly, peered over the. edge, of a . cliff.. " -and addressed' old' "Jimmy"; Duggwi. as / - "monkey-face," to that iudi- ; . /- . 'vidualji which; tos[ accurate . . enough' towirage ' the■ recipient. '• Subs©; y quently,' when ■ Mr. Duggan visited tlie head of. the O'Eeilly household, and; eug- ' gested that the insult could only .be ; iviT)ed'-•qut;.;;by=;'|ivp^ental.VthTastogi : /'the''', ,o'KeiUy/>who.:'%(r^cdm{J6 r ted\avvery successful . that - ' : aftemoon,'.- and :. '. , •was. at the moment'. in that peculiai l con-:. • dition of mind ; which ' prefers - candour ito : discretion, replied, with a hiccoup, that . he wasn't going; to, "leather; th' : bye t'l spa'siii' til'-..b00t."..;. - •■;.•. ' J ' Air. . Duggai's face ' grew., dark.; "Tfl '! ivon't' apalagiso?" he' asked.-glowenng; at - ■■; ' Mr. O'Keilly. . ' •'? ; : ■ "1..wi1l nat," replied,the witK. ' . a . grin.; "Come ;t'. think, av..;ut, : .th' moo. , ; '.'i; ' ; i keys' hiv. a . agihjst. ye," he . ; added; .at the incensed - Mr. .Bug-.; '; i 'gain,;, who; '• was ismall, and'vshrimpish» - , ] D'Eeilly - was' a'.Jhead taUeXj . and'-neaTlff . : j twice'as broad. • /. ; 'fTirry goM—virry 1 good!"'hoivled Mi. ! Duggan, .rubbing his hands, 'and- capering . .; about .tlie ; yard "I'U.-,be aiv«n ; j X J ]l tie aiien!" He \vas pro , ccediiig clarify on. a : ,"i 'zoological™ ;l»££si£s;and not:-very'- 'politely, ; ,;; i ..when .. the; O-Reilly, r.seiaeil. him jby the v'; scruff o.f ithe .heck,,and- trotted hiin ua'ceremomously.'.out'.of , the' ; yard..'^"WHsht, . • ;j u-it' : ye!" ;lie . said;- as he .him . through tho gate,.. "an' wash: yer. out;.iyhi'n;^y.e.git I honw'.'';lHe 1 leisurely'' back to; the' house, leaving tho. . ' ■ :little ; man' in a'- stato of ixjlla'pse.'.choking. ' with rago, in tho.niiddle of. the road- . | . ,I'And so began tho vendetta. . Next-moni. : the . O'Eeilly hoiisohold, mustering . ; i at; dawn- for tho milking, I found all the ' ' ' ixad gates • open, and. tho O'EeiHy herd scattered alocgjibout fiYe;iniles.'of Triid-" .'. :ug : road. ; ■ O'Ecilly eald nothing. .-. He , : luiewi s But'-'his restraint : broke : down.. ~ ' when; ho ;arrived «t , the . factory .too .late • for. fio-'eepaj-atciri.. and-he,;had .to .take ;.. r.; ■ his" njilk home'"again.' r lt's : an 'ill , wind ;...:; that' blows 'nobody; cajlTes-. '■ j.f-s liTedithafc,:day." on,.tho' fat.'of' the'.land. : ' for .once '.in. theiT..*.'miserable• liveei; and.. ; ;.J. wiiilo they : slobbercd.'m unaccus- ' tomed laixur'y,- the 'O'EeiUyf whoso fann lay high up on' the.; ridge,c locked; down.. ,u;)on the,'rivor.-.flats below, ..where hia .' 'eiiemy's 'shed peepdd ; out' from* among .. . . ttie J .'aid ;cTiewed the. cud^*;bf - bitter.:'.-, ;' ;; roilection'. He was. hi/poor as'a' rat, aiid . 'drank'' .like j- a-, : £shv. ;but.. he'.-couldSsell-': a-i. '; horse, and so made ends meet, fomehow. • Dujfgan—ho shook'his fist in the direcfaoo : r ' of; the'iriyer—Dugg<m,.; the; little! 1 , monkeyfaced wasp, cows,-.;ai]d dioV ,' . ii. fat. cheque 'from .. tho factory • . ■ 'months Ho would fix;Duggaai'.'." .' :;;V. » Two days passed without v any'' further-..:.' sign-.iof- hostilities,: but about llvo'clock:;. .. on the evdning of.the third day, ..Duggaa : woke up suddenly with the sound of crackling in • his ears. Ho sniffed, and jumped fqr.:.the• yard. ;. A-'glanoe- at'.the- .: leaping', flames,,in...ffie. horee;paddock -was;,;;-V-'M'i. 'sufficient." (His'Haystacfe-were': t as;gobd'.aa gone." • "Tlie' : dhirty" sciit," ' ;he; : hissed, . •-• 'and 'heV sat on .tho. fence and. ; 'w.atched' '.. .1 them .burn down . till all .that , was".- left- •- . ; were three great.black .smouldering discs, to remind him -of tho vendetta. V ' . . ' • -.Next day, : . Joe- ; home crying from-a rabbiting expedition;'. ; carrying lus fox-terrier under hls\ arm, ;v,;' i its. auarters from- .a'; gunshot : • . ■ wound. •; The ;dog' was a prize-winner/ and -.C . j the apple ,of Ithe , ?;''Ehwat'a : ;j ? j now?" ho kgan, .as . tte'-.boy. stumbled: ,; into the kitchen. -Then ha saw the dog, - ( ;anS,VslMdi^-.'t6wMdsii.tKe'.b^i < -Seized^him.r;:V ; V-' : j ;roughly. : :-:by'; mesinow, .; ; j .quick;' phwat'-'hiy.".ye''aone.?746ui;-OTth;it!" ..,:'v';;! ■ - ,'T-P-Pat Duggan sh-sh-shot-'im,"-: etam«; > ' •( rnered: tho boy, choking/back his sobs.'-: • O'Reilly rapped out an oath. "Ohol he 'did/--'did';he? :',:'-Th'ei;skunk!";vhe" s'narled,',ff.-;;.j his face as . black .'as thundor. ' Then '.ho '; ; turned to the dog, which gave a whimper;;. • I'll fi-i th' dog up furrst—thm I'll fix 1 MistheriDuggan.". .. '•;; _ ;. . ; 'j ■■ After. threo''days'. fruitless'search, Dug-.;' gan located two of . his' best cows penned .' up in the' bush;-behind- a rough'-corral / . ; ,of /scrub/ .timher,' .i their?; Judders'; swollen, ; j and. suffering agonies'. : Both died tho same • night.'.i ' Duggan-' , .wondered .; gloomily :> •; i whether ,tho ganie'was worth tho'.candle. nowoyor,'. .the end •' wasnearer than ... : either- he. -ori Olleiny; , knew.^ : ;N^i;day;g';:;; O'Ecilly went .to - tho stock -sale, ten --- , i miles ■ away.;.- Having.; watched: him; well ' away, Pat Duggan. rounded up a . small •. * mob of--the O'ileilly cattle that, wero>'.. | grazing(;,on.^tte;-road—the. o"Eeffly.'.fences lyer&.frag-ile-rantl/drove thein^dlong;;:the , ;i , 6a4;Ho.;.wfcqre';;the'.-,'^der?^ Iwith'- ;hi!3'r.horse,; '''dogs/ 'aid i stockwHip.':;':' , a^shilling or. 'nts'his f sMmy.'':j;;| cows/E'outv; o' pound, :mUiciou'sly.i/-''l'll give'ye.th'-dri'rih'ifeKi-:: •Pat,"- he,-added;-as ho; :got. ; , the..,.mob j started .'on 'tho .road.', v.; .'r-./.-.i'•■ 'i.- . But' Mr." Dngganinever :arrived"at the', ! pound. :Jooy O'Reilly, ■ cutting across tho j paddocks}', from ;• th'ftjpost saw :: the - a prdcessioiii'.'and. fled .home like., a".'deer... "01' 1 Duggan's. dnvin' - our cows_ to the --i pouhdj" .ho pa'nte'd; as : ho ,flung, into' the..... yard,'- where his : mother was - fading: the •.; 1 i J CalveS/;y; j '?;-.;;;-;:.0;i,''Xi':-' ! '.l , ;-V 5 :3^V^'v ;^ • 'Thwat?' demanded .Mrs. a. .j eyes sparking. Mrs. O'Reilly was two' 1 -inches:: taller;, thai l, her strong as a horse. She was the only 'ptMOtt;-yhom': , afraid of. "W)icrD,.is lio she .■ •] asked, -dropping , tho . bucket and reaching . for tho.buggy-whip.... ;! '"Down' by :tke';;post ' office,' ,;6aid'; : ' the;_ ; ' i boy; : TWithout";further?id6;; rthe'S'ladyy vtM strodo' out -of the. ' yard, and Vmaking. ' ! the?-: Duggan- as he rounded:a;beud : ofithojroadii^i;;! ■ Duggan: .'drew (reii-as •■V;she..'; : /'Ye'llsgo i| ,'she 'exclaimed,; Vs" shel^^^.'plantcd:;fiereelf,; iii*r." i| front ofaliis horse's ;V- i. ; y .: "Aii' who'll-sHtop me,r":sncered' Duggaa.-;. ',^i ■ ■ •'l iwill—nowj" :said ithe.':lady,.:and . so . 'saying; she seized the reins mth oiio .:'! hand;;and'.'Brasp'inc'.'the. littler,ihan's,arm ,i; : : , ; > with the' other, . pulled- him J off: his .horse, :..':.l •aftd • tiirhelhb\vled '.ifttf l ' 1 hint, hc-r" face flushed, andOhe'r- 'lxisbm /heaving-Tnth;the>'fetraih::of;her!''exertions.'i; :"Yis-rJohi; whinedvDuggah. '-■■■; ■ • "Well, ; lhin---no.. more av' -this.' back- ..; •stabbimV' sho said, as she turnedito the ' cattlo;-:.'-:K;.:'!/i.-: hi-i'-:-: :; ' : ';i- : ;. 'night,,Mr.;.',Q'ReJly.,;received,:the; ■: lecture .of his,life;froni ■ "tn" .missis;''. and ir-j Joev was sent . down to ' Dugga-i to. i : 'apbidgise(for.':hav.ing ; : facoi";V;i's£rs. i: :-o'Eeijlyafterwards ::ex-:fe;i ; > appSrent:;yMhconsistency- ; ;.v;& i by' hud . : r ] ;baiie sober ;'man;iinstid ay;/a,spoiigß;'f'r .whisky to soak "intui .Duggan wud.niyver | hiv iiotliered us—there .hovr.!" ;;... '■ 1 J ,-The. ;p.uggan : o'l^ei.^y: :^.yen^ettal < .was:;: at . : ;.{ ■an.end.'. ■'/.