Here's neck or nothing! " cried Jack.

" That's your grandfather all over," said the old fellow ; " so come along, then, and do as I do."

They both left the cave, walked into the sea, and then swam a piece until they got to the rock. The Merrow climbed to the top of it, and Jack followed him. . On the far side it was as straight as the wall of a house, and the sea beneath looked so deep that Jack was almost cowed.

"Now, do you see. Jack," said the Merrow: "just put this hat on your head, and mind to keep your eyes wide open. Take hold of my tail, and follow after me, and you'll see what you'll see."

In he dashed, and in dashed Jack after him boldly.

They went and they went, and Jack thought they'd never stop going. Many a time did he wish himself sitting at home by the fireside with Biddy. Yet where was the use of wishing now, when he was so many miles, as he thought, below the waves of the Atlantic ? Still he held hard by the Merrow's tail, slippery as it was; and, at last, to Jack's great surprise, they got out of the water, and he actually found himself on dry land at the bottom of the sea. They landed just in front of a nice house that was slated very neatly with oyster shells! and the Merrow, turning about to Jack, welcomed him down.

Jack could hardly speak, what with wonder, and what with being out of breath with travelling so fast through the water. He looked about him and could see no living things, barring crabs and lobsters, of which there were plenty walking leisurely about on the sand. Overhead was the sea like a sky, and the fishes like birds swimming about in it

" Why don't you speak, man ?" said the Merrow: " I dare say you had no notion that I had such a snug little concern here as this? Are you smothered, or choked, or drowned, or are you fretting after Biddy, eh ? "

" Oh ! not myself, indeed," said Jack, showing his teeth with a good-humoured grin ; " but who in the world would ever have thought of seeing such a thing ? "

" Well, come along, and let's see what they've got for us to eat?"

Jack really was hungry, and it gave him no small pleasure to perceive a fine column of smoke rising from the chimney, announcing what was going on within. Into the house he followed the Merrow, and there he saw a good kitchen, right well provided with everything. There was a noble dresser, and plenty of pots and pans, with two young Merrows cooking. His host then led him into the room, which was furnished shabbily enough. Not a table or a chair was there in it; nothing but planks and logs of wood to sit on, and eat off. There was, however, a good fire blazing upon the hearth—a comfortable sight to Jack.

•*Come now, and I'll show you where I keep—you know what," said the Merrow, with a sly look; and opening a little door, he led Jack into a fine cellar, well filled with pipes, and kegs, and hogsheads, and barrels.

" What do you say to that, Jack Dogherty ? Eh ! may be a body can't live snug under the water ? "

*• Never the doubt of that," said Jack, with a convincing smack of his under lip, that he really thought what he said.

They went back to the room, and found dinner laid. There was no tablecloth, to be sure—but what matter? It was not always Jack had one at home. The dinner would have been no discredit to the first house of the country on a fast day. The choicest of fish, and no wonder, was there. Turbots, and sturgeons, and soles, and lobsters, and oysters, and twenty other kinds, were on the planks at once, and plenty of the best of foreign spirits. The wines, the old fellow said, were too cold for his stomach.

Jack ate and drank till he could eat no more: then, taking up a shell of brandy, " Here's to your honour's good health, sir," said he; " though, begging you pardon, it's mighty odd that as long as we've been acquainted I don't know your name yet."

"That's true. Jack," replied he; "I never thought of it before, but better late than never. My name's Coomara."

" A.nd a mighty decent name it is," cried Jack, taking another shellfull: " here's to your good health, Coomara, and may ye live these fifty years to come !"

"Fifty years !" repeated Coomara ; " I'm obliged to you, indeed ! If you had said five hundred, it would have been something worth the wishing."

"By the laws, sir," cries jack, ^^youz live to a powerful age here under the water ! You knew my grandfather, and he's dead and gone better than these sixty years. I'm sure it must be a healthy place to live in."

'*No doubt of it; but come. Jack, keep the liquor stirring,"

Shell after shell did they empty, and to Jack's exceeding

surprise, he found the drink never got into his head, owing, I suppose, to the sea being over them, which kept their noddles cool.

Old Coomara got exceedingly comfortable, and sung several songs; but Jack, if his Hfe had depended on it, never could remember more than

** Rum fum boodle boOy

Ripple dimple nitty dob ; Dumdoo doodle coo^ Raffle taffle chiitiboo t "

It was the chorus to one of them; and, to say the truth, nobody that I know has ever been able to pick any particular meaning out of it; but that, to be sure, is the case with many a song nowadays.

At length said he to Jack, " Now, my dear boy, \i you follow me, I'll show you my curiosities!^^ He opened a httle door, and led Jack into a large room, where Jack saw a great many odds and ends that Coomara had picked up at one time or another. What chiefly took his attention, however, were things like lobster-pots ranged on the ground along the wall.

" Weil, Jack, how do you like my curiosities ? " said old Coo.

'*Upon my sowkins,"^ sir," said Jack, "they're mighty well worth the looking at; but might I make so bold as to ask what these things like lobster-pots are ? "

" Oh ! the Soul Cages, is it ? "

"The what? sir!"

" These things here that I keep the souls in."

" Arrah / what souls, sir ? " said Jack, in amazement; " sure the fish have no souls in them ? "

"Oh! no," repHed Coo, quite coolly, "that they have not; but these are the souls of drowned sailors."

" The Lord preserve us from all harm!" muttered Jack, "how in the world did you get them?"

"Easily enough: I've only, when I see a good storm

* SowkinSy diminutive of soul

I

70 THE MERKOW,

coming on, to set a couple of dozen of these, and then, when the sailors are drowned and the souls get out of them under the water, the poor things are almost perished to death, not being used to the cold; so they make into my pots for shelter, and then I have them snug, and fetch them home, and keep them here dry and warm ; and is it not well for them, poor souls, to get into such good quarters ? "

Jack was so thunderstruck he did not know what to say, so he said nothing. They went back into the dining-room, and had a little more brandy, which was excellent, and then, as Jack knew that it must be getting late, and as Biddy might be uneasy, he stood up, and said he thought it was time for him to be on the road.

"Just as you like, Jack," said Coo, "but take a due an durrus* before you go; you've a cold journey before "you."

Jack knew better manners than to refuse the parting glass. "I wonder," said he, "will I be able to make out my way home?"

"What should ail you," said Coo, **when 111 show you the way ? "

Out they went before the house, and Coomara took one of the cocked hats, and put it upon Jack's head the wrong way, and then lifted him up on his shoulder that he might launch him up into the water.

"Now," says he, giving him a heave, "you'll come up just in the same spot you came down in; and, Jack, mind and throw me back the hat."

He canted Jack off his shoulder, and up he shot like a bubble—whirr, whirr, whiz—away he went up through the water, till he came to the very rock he had jumped off, where he found a landing-place, and then in he threw the hat, which sunk like a stone.

The sun was just going down in the beautiful sky of a calm summer's evening. Feascor was seen dimly twinkling in the cloudless heaven, a soUtary star, and the waves of the Atlantic flashed in a golden flood of light. So Jack,

* RecUy deoch dn dorms —door-drink or stirrup-cup.

perceiving it was late, set off home; but when he got there, not a word did he say to Biddy of where he had spent his day.

The state of the poor souls cooped up in the lobster-pots gave Jack a great deal of trouble, and how to release them cost him a great deal of thought He at first had a mind to speak to the priest about the matter.