244, MARTIN RATTLER.

To this sternly-delivered speech the Baron made no
reply, but springing suddenly upon Martin, he grasped
him in his powerful arms, and crushed him to his |
broad chest till he almost broke every bone in his
body !

“Och! cushla, bliss yer young face! sure it’s yersilf,
an’ no mistake! Kape still, Martin, dear. Let me
look at ye, darlint! Ah! then, isn’t it my heart
that’s been broken for months an’ months past about
ye?”

Reader, it would be utterly in vain for me to at-
tempt to describe either the words that flowed from
the lips of Martin Rattler and Barney O’Flannagan on
this happy occasion, or the feelings that filled their
swelling hearts. The speechless amazement of Martin,
the ejaculatory exclamations of the Baron Fagoni, the
rapid questions and brief replies, are all totally inde-
seribable. Suffice it to say, that for full quarter of
an hour they exclaimed, shouted, and danced round
each other, without coming to any satisfactory know-
ledge of how each had got to the same place, except
that Barney at last discovered that Martin had tray-
elled there by chance, and he had reached the mines
by “intuition.” Having settled this point, they
sobered down a little.

“ Now, Martin, darlint,” cried the Irishman, throw-