ORANGE AND GREEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5502, 29 February 1896, Page 1

ORANGE AND GREEN.

■ i (From "By Thrasna River," by $Kan F. Bullock.) \ In the centre of the ring stood two men, one big and florid, the other square and muscular, arid each denouncing the other. "Why didn't ye lave the dog alone, ye big grampus ye?"* said the square man. " He wasn't interferin' wid you." "D'ye think I'm goin' to stan' by an' see the dog massacreed ? " said the other, " an' that by a cur like yours P" "It's you's the enr, ye flat-futtedhaveral ye!" ".Get out, ye— ye stinlrin' militia-man ye "Te Orange dog ye!" . "YePapishhoundye!" "Order. o r d6r!" cried the ring. "No party names!" The. men grappled, struggled, fell to earth.. The ring broke up and parted them: "Fight fair!" went up the voices. "No grips ! Fight itout!" Hal was laughing and crowing with joy. jWee James plucked at my elbow. " Isn't it great !" he said excitedly. " Begob ! there'll be .blood afore long; we'll be.allin it less than no time." "Who are the men ?" I asked. ; "The big man's big, Ned Nolan ay Gorteen; he belongs to us. Toother's Terry Fitch, the militiaman from Bilboa; he's a Papish. Luk, they're ready ! Ifll be th© Orange an' Green afore two minits ! •Hurroo, me sons !" The two men, stripped to the shirt, were facing each other on the grass. Behind each stood a band of adherents : on the one side Soman Catholics, on the other Protestants. Big Ned breathed heavily as he tucked iip his shirt-sleeves, and looked a little flurried. Terry, on the contrary, was qhite calm and confident." A " Bully Ned !" shouted one of his own. ''EJriock tlje grin-off him." "Laye' it to me, boys,'-? shouted Ned. ".Let me at him." , Bilboa skirled > and Bent back a defiant :-&oiit.y: 7/ /,.■ „ .:.,, /:.-;.::■ „,.A*.y>* '.7,7-, 7/7 A. '"Shout away !" called Harry, M&rrhi, Ned's doughty second. "'He laughsHvho wins.' Doesn't he, Ned?", A • '..:.'« -Ay.!," roared Ned. "Hurroo for Kins Billy!" . ' _ Squaring and swaggering Ned advanced, his shoulders up, his head back, his fists slowly -revolving. Terry waited for him. " Come on," he said, "yo old grampus ye." " "'l'm comin' !" roared Ned; and shouting mightily,- charged. Terry stepped on one side, let him pass, then hit him behind the ear. "Oh !" shouted Ned, and sprawled out on his face. Bilboa skirled and threw up its hats; Hurroo! hurroo! hurroo! Gorteen silently lifted its champion, and led him back to his side. "Take it aisy, Ned," whispered Henry Marvin; "go oonny; try to tire him out." Ned. wiped his eyes, set his teeth, and started again. But this time he went cautiously and sparred up to his opponent: slowly, ponderously, he advanced* Terry hit out ; Ned shut his eyes, threw ont his arms, and took the blow on his wrist. Them did we all hold our breath as Ned gathered himself for a mighty effort; he lunged wildly with a great swoop of his arm, missed, received a neat hit on the face, and fell on his knees. Again Bilboa skirled : Hurroo ! hurroo ! " Howld yir tongnes," a Gorteen man cried ;" ye pack o' sweeps ! " "Come on if ye dare," called Bilboa; " come on an' be kilt." "Shuh!" cried Gorteen. "We widn't dirty our hands on ye ! " "Away, the Orange- dogs ! " "Away, ye* pack o' rebels, Fenians, cutthroats!*" Off came the coats and waistcoats, down went the hats. Orange and green were going to meet, Where were hunger and pain now ? Where all neighbourly feeling ? W^re these the men^-scowling, swearing, gnashing their t^eth^whom, a little while ago, we saw smoking and talking together? It was amazing. The - whole thing was so sudden, so fierce and impulsiVe. Two dogs fought ; two men . quarrelled ; two townlands were at each other's throats. , Bnt before the two parties could come to blows, Mr Brown stepped in between them. " Here !" said he, " no more of this. You'll not fight on this land. If you do, I'll summon every man of you. Come ! stop it, I say. Bade to your carts !" The two bands muttered and looked longingly a± each other. Oh, for only five minutes ! "If you want to fight, go out of this land," said Mr Brown. " I'll have none of your blackguardism here." The men could only obey : the road was hard to fall upon; beyond Emo was far; the threat of a summons was not to be . winked at. « Och ! the pity of it," said they, and picked up their scattered garments"; "the pity of it!" "Ach !" said Wee James, "I'm fair mad Why cudn'the let us at it for five minutes ? The ugly scarcrow ! Shure we'd ha' done no harm, an' if s seldom we have such a chance to pay them out." " Pay whom out ?" " Th'others— Papishes." "What for?" . James lpoked doubtful at me from the corner of his eye. " Thaf s a nice thing to ax, " said he; _ an you one of ourselves. Why, for lverything, the murderin' thieves !" ' I looked round. Everyone was dressed. Men were beginning to laugh and light their pipes. The fighting look had died out of their eyes ; the flush of excitement had given way to the old pinched expression of face. Still, all neighbourly feeling for that day had gone, and in its place skulked the demon (that peculiarly Irish demon) of party and religious intolerance.