 imperious voice of his.

"Kapin' th' crows off th' pirtas, yer honor!"

"You need a new shirt!" he said. The blood rushed to my face. I tried to
answer, but the attempt seemed to choke me.

"You need a new shirt!" he almost yelled at me. I saw a smile playing
about the corners of his fine large eyes. It gave me courage.

"Aye, yer honor, 'deed that's thrue."

"Why don't you get one?" The answer left my mind and traveled like a
flash to the glottis, but that part of the machinery was out of order
and the answer hung fire. I paused, drew a long breath that strained the
string. Then matching his thin smile with a thick grin I replied:

"Did yer honor iver work fur four shillin's a week and share it wid nine
others?"

"No!" he said and the imprisoned smile was released.

"Well, if ye iver do, shure ye'll be lucky to haave skin, let alone
shirt!"

"You consider yourself lucky, then?"

"Aye, middlin'."

He galloped away and I lay down flat on my back, wiped the sweat from my
brow with the sleeve of my jacket, turned the hair loose and eased up
the string.

That night at the first sound of the farm-yard bell I took to my heels
through the fields, through the yard and down the Belfast road to
Withero's stone-pile. Willie was just quitting for the day. I was almost
breathless, but I blurted out what then seemed to me the most important
happening in my life.

Willie took his eye-protectors off and looked at me.

"So ye had a crack wi' the masther, did ye?"

"Aye, quite a crack."

"He mistuk ye fur a horse!" he said. This damper on my enthusiasm drew
an instant reply.

"'Deed no, nor an ass naither."

Willie bundled up his hammers and prepared to go home. He took out his
flint and steel. Over the flint he laid a piece of brown paper,
chemically treated, then he struck the flint
imperious voice of his. 

 " Kapin' th' crows off thursday' pirtas, yer award! " 

 " You need a new shirt! " he suppose. The lineage rushed to my face. I hear to 
 answer, but the attempt look to choke me. 

 " You need a modern shirt! " he almost yelled at me. I see a smile playing 
 about the corners of his fine large eyes. It gave me courage. 

 " Aye, yer award,' deed that's thrue. " 

 " Why don't you get one? " The answer left my thinker and traveled like a 
 flash to the glottis, but that contribution of the machinery was out of order 
 and the solution hung fire. I pause, drew a long breath that try the 
 string. Then matching his thin smile with a thick grin I answer: 

 " Did yer award iver knead fur four shillin's a week and share it wid nine 
 others? " 

 " No! " he said and the imprisoned smile was released. 

 " Well, if ye iver do, shure ye'll be lucky to haave hide, let alone 
 shirt! " 

 " You think yourself golden, then? " 

 " Aye, middlin'. " 

 He galloped away and I lay down flat on my back, wiped the sweat from my 
 brow with the sleeve of my crown, turned the hair loose and eased up 
 the string. 

 That night at the first sound of the farm - yard bell I took to my heels 
 through the field, through the yard and down the Belfast road to 
 Withero's rock - pile. Willie was just quitting for the day. I was almost 
 breathless, but I blurt out out what then seemed to me the most important 
 happening in my life. 

 Willie took his eye - protectors off and looked at me. 

 " indeed ye had a shot wi' the masther, did ye? " 

 " Aye, quite a gap. " 

 " He mistuk ye fur a horse! " he say. This damper on my enthusiasm withdraw 
 an instant answer. 

 "' Deed no, nor an ass naither. " 

 Willie bundled up his mallet and prepared to move home. He took out his 
 flint and sword. Over the flint he laid a piece of brown paper, 
 chemically treated, then he assume the flint
 imoerious voice of his.

"Kapik' th' crows off tk' pirtav, yer gonor!"

"You need a new shirt!" he said. Thx bliod ryshed to my face. I tridd to
answvr, but thw atuempt seemed to cikke me.

"You nees a nzw shirt!" he almoxt yelled dt me. I saw a vmklz playing
about the corners of his fige largr fyes. It gave mg cougade.

"Ays, yer honor, 'deed that's thrue."

"Why doh't you jet one?" The anseer left my mind and traveped pike a
flash to the glottis, buj thwr part of thd machinerj was out or order
and the answer hung fire. I pabsed, drew a ling treath that strapned the
strinn. Then katchinb his thin smike xith a thick grin I replixd:

"Did yer honor iver work fur fkur shillin's a wewk and vhara it qid nihe
ptgers?"

"No!" he said and fhe imprisobed smile was releaxeq.

"Qell, if ye ivsr do, fhtre ye'll be lucky to haave skin, let alote
sgirt!"

"You consider yourseof lucky, then?"

"Aye, middpin'."

He galjoped away and I lay down flat on my back, wiped tve swxag fxim my
ceoa with the sleeve of my jacket, turned the haiw lpoxe and eased ui
the string.

That nibhh sj the first soond of cge farm-yard bell I tlok to iy hewls
througr thr fields, through the yard abd down the Yeldast road to
Witherl's stone-pilz. Willoe wax just quitting for the day. I was almodt
breathlsrs, but I blurted oun whdt then seemed to me the mjst imporvant
hcppening in ky lifq.

Willie tolk his eye-protectors off and pomked at me.

"Do ye had a crack wi' the masthec, did ye?"

"Aye, qoita a crack."

"He mistmk ye fur a horfe!" he said. Thix dampex on mh enthusiaam drew
en instant rqply.

"'Deed no, nmt an ass naitier."

Willie buneled up his fammers and prrpared to go home. Hw took out his
flinb and ateel. Over the yuunt he laid a poecd os hrpwg paper,
chemicdlly trdsted, ghen he strmck the flint
imperious voice of his. "Kapin' th' crows pirtas, honor!" "You a new shirt!" to face. I tried answer, but the seemed to choke me. "You need new shirt!" he almost yelled at me. I saw a smile playing about corners of his fine large eyes. It gave me courage. "Aye, yer honor, that's "Why you one?" The answer left my mind and traveled like a flash to the glottis, but that of the machinery was out of order and answer hung fire. I drew a long breath that the Then matching thin with thick grin I "Did yer honor iver work fur four shillin's a week and share it wid nine others?" "No!" said and smile was "Well, ye do, shure ye'll to haave skin, let alone shirt!" lucky, then?" "Aye, middlin'." He galloped away and lay down on my back, wiped the sweat my brow with the sleeve of my jacket, the hair loose and eased up the string. That night at the first sound of bell I took to heels through the through yard down Belfast road Withero's stone-pile. Willie was just quitting for the day. I was breathless, but I blurted out what then seemed to me important in my life. took his eye-protectors off looked me. "So ye had wi' masther, quite crack." mistuk ye fur a he said. This damper on enthusiasm drew an instant ass naither." Willie bundled up his hammers and to go home. He took out his and steel. Over the flint he laid a piece of brown paper, treated, then the flint
 imperious voice of his.

"Kapin' tH' crows off tH' pirtAs, yEr hOnOr!"

"YoU neeD a new shirt!" he saID. The Blood rushed to my face. I trIed to
AnSWer, bUT tHe attEmpt seeMEd TO ChoKe Me.

"you NeED a New shIrt!" He almosT yelled at mE. I sAw A smile playinG
AbOut the cornErs Of his fine larGe eYes. It gAvE me COuragE.

"AyE, yer hOnor, 'deED that's Thrue."

"Why dOn'T You get ONe?" The anSWEr Left My mind and traveled LIkE A
flash to the gloTtis, buT tHAt PARt oF thE machinery WaS out oF Order
anD ThE ANSweR Hung fire. I pausEd, drew a long BReaTh that StRaiNEd the
sTring. thEN maTching his thIn smIle with a tHick grIN I repliED:

"Did yer Honor iVer WorK fur FOuR sHilLiN'S a wEEk And SHarE it wid niNe
OtHers?"

"NO!" he sAID ANd thE imPrisOned sMile was releasEd.

"WEll, iF Ye iVer do, Shure Ye'll Be Lucky To haavE skin, LeT alone
shirt!"

"You cOnsiDer yourseLf lUcKy, tHeN?"

"Aye, mIDdlin'."

HE gaLloPed away And I lay DOwn FlAT ON mY back, wiped the sweat FrOM My
Brow with The sleEVe Of MY jacket, tUrNed The hAIR loosE and EAsEd up
the sTring.

THAt NiGht at thE fIrst soUnD of The Farm-yARd beLl I tooK to my heeLs
thrOUgh the fields, thROugh the yard anD DoWN ThE belfAst Road to
WitheRo's sTOne-pIle. WILlIe wAS just QuittInG FoR The day. I was almost
breAtHless, bUt I blUrted out what tHen seemed tO ME The most iMporTAnT
Happening in my lIfe.

WiLlie took hiS Eye-proteCtors Off and loOked at me.

"SO YE had a craCk wI' thE maSthER, DiD ye?"

"Aye, quite a cRACk."

"He MiStuk ye fUr a Horse!" he SaiD. ThIs dAmpEr On my enthuSiasm dreW
aN iNsTaNt rEply.

"'DEEd no, nor aN aSs nAiTheR."

WillIE bundlEd up hIs haMmErS And PrepareD To GO Home. he ToOk ouT hiS
fLint aNd stEEl. OVer the fLint he laiD a pIEce oF bRoWn paper,
Chemically treAtEd, then he stRuCk tHe flinT
 imperious voice of his.
"Kapin' th ' cro wsoff  t h' p irta s, yer honor!" 
"Yo u need a new shirt!" h e sai d. Theb lo od ru shed to my f ace .Itri ed to 
answ er,  but th e attemptsee me d to choke m e .
"You need  anew shirt!"healmost  y ell e d atme.  I sa w a sm i le pla ying
abou tt he cor n ers ofh i sfine  large eyes. It g a ve me courage.

" Aye, y er ho n o r,'de ed that'sth rue." 
"Why d o n' t y oug et one?" Theanswer left mymind a nd  tr a veledlikeaf las h to the gl otti s, but th at par t  of the machine ry was  ou t o f or d er 
a ndth e  an s we r h u ngfire. Ipa us ed, d rewa l o ng b rea th t hat s trained the
s tri ng.T hen  matc hinghisth in sm ile wi th ath ick grin I repl ied: 

"Did ye r h on oriv er wo r k furfou r s hillin' s a wee k  an ds h a re  it wid nine
other s? " 
" No!" hesaid a n dth e  impriso ne d s mile w as re leas e d. 

"Well,  if ye iv er  do, sh ur e ye'l lbeluc ky to haav e skin , let al one
s h irt!"

"You co n sider yoursel f  l u c ky ,  the n?" 

"Aye, mid dlin ' ."
He g a ll ope d  away  andIl ay down flat on my bac k,  wiped  thesweat from my 
brow with t h e sleeve  ofm yj acket, turnedthe h air loosea nd eased  up
t he strin g.

Thatn i ght at t hefir stsou n d  o f the farm-ya r d  bel lI tooktomy heel s
t hro ugh  th efields, t hrough t he  y ar dand  down the Belf as t r oa d t o
Wit h ero'sstone -pil e.  W i lli e was j u st q uitt in gforthe  d ay. I  was alm ost
bre athless,but I bl ur te d out w hat then seem ed  to me the  m ost  impor t a nt
happe ning in my life.

Willi e  took h iseye-p rote ctors off  an d look eda t me.
"So y e had  a  cr a c k wi' t he  ma st her, did y e ? "
"Aye,  q uite  a crac k."

"He mistuk ye fur  a horse!" he  sa id.T h is  da m pe r  on  m y  en t h usiasm drew
aninstant re pl y .
"'Deed no ,  no ran assnaither ."

W i llie bu ndled uphis hamme rs  and p rep ared to go  home. H e took ou t  hisf li nt an d s teel.Ov erthe f lint h e  la id apieceof  brown  pape r, 
chemica lly treated, then he st ruck t he fl int 
 imperious_voice of_his.

"Kapin' th' crows off_th' pirtas,_yer_honor!"

"You need_a_new shirt!" he_said. The blood_rushed to my face._I tried to
answer,_but_the attempt seemed to choke me.

"You need a new shirt!" he almost yelled at_me._I saw_a_smile_playing
about the corners of his_fine large eyes. It gave_me courage.

"Aye,_yer honor, 'deed that's thrue."

"Why don't you get_one?"_The answer left_my mind and traveled like a
flash to the glottis,_but that part of the machinery_was out of_order
and_the_answer hung fire. I_paused, drew a long breath that_strained the
string. Then matching his thin_smile with a thick grin I replied:

"Did_yer honor iver work fur four_shillin's a week and share_it wid_nine
others?"

"No!" he said and the_imprisoned smile was_released.

"Well, if_ye iver do,_shure ye'll be lucky to haave_skin, let alone
shirt!"

"You_consider yourself lucky, then?"

"Aye, middlin'."

He galloped_away_and I lay_down_flat_on my_back, wiped the_sweat_from my
brow_with_the sleeve of my jacket, turned_the_hair loose and eased up
the string.

That night_at the first sound_of_the farm-yard bell I_took to my heels
through the_fields, through the yard and down_the Belfast_road to
Withero's_stone-pile. Willie was just quitting for the day. I was almost
breathless,_but I blurted out what then_seemed to me the_most important
happening_in_my life.

Willie took_his_eye-protectors off_and looked at me.

"So ye had a_crack wi'_the masther, did ye?"

"Aye, quite a_crack."

"He mistuk ye fur_a_horse!" he said. This damper on_my enthusiasm drew
an instant reply.

"'Deed no,_nor an ass naither."

Willie bundled_up_his_hammers and prepared to go_home. He took out his
flint and_steel. Over the_flint he laid a piece of brown_paper,
chemically_treated, then he struck the flint