On crossing the fields, however, towards the wild and lonely road, which was at no great distance from the cottage, he met Tom approaching it, at his usual sling-trot pace.
"Is that Tom ?" said he--"tall Tom ?" "Hicco, hicco!" replied Tom, quite gratified with the compliment.

"You be tall, too--not as tall as Tom dough.

Tom got bully dinner to-day, and bully sleep in de barn, and bully supper, but wasn't sleepy den--hicco, hicco." "Well, Tom, what news about what you know ?" "In toder house," replied Tom; "him sleeps in Peg Finigan's sometimes, and sometimes in toder again--dat is, Mary Mahon's.

Him's afeared o' something--hard him say so, sure, to ould Peg." "Well, Tom, if you will keep your eye on him, so as that you can let us know where to find him, we engage to give you a bully dinner every day, and, a bully supper every night of your life, and a swig of stout ale to wash it down, with plenty of straw to sleep on, and a winnow-cloth and lots of sacks to keep you as warm and cosey as a winter hob.

You know where to find me every evenin' after dusk, Tom, and when you come with good news, you'll be a made man; and, listen, Tom, it'll make you a foot taller, and who knows, man alive, but we may show you for a giant, now." "Hicco, hicco!" said Tom; "dat great--never mind; me catch him for you.
A giant!--oh, gorramarcy!--a giant!--hicco!--gorramarcy!" and with these words he darted off in some different direction, whilst Fergus went to his usual place of rest for the night.
It would seem by the Red Rapparee s movements at this time as if he entertained some vague suspicions of awakened justice, notwithstanding the assurances of safety previously communicated to him by Sir Robert Whitecraft.