Oh, the tricks of them! who knows 'em, if I don't ?' Presently, Lord Colambre's attention was roused again, by seeing a man running, as if for his life, across a bog, near the roadside; he leaped over the ditch, and was upon the road in an instant.

He seemed startled at first, at the sight of the carriage; but, looking at the postillion, Larry nodded, and he smiled and said-- 'All's safe!' 'Pray, my good friend, may I ask what that is you have on your shoulder ?' said Lord Colambre.
PLASE your honour, it is only a private still, which I've just caught out yonder in the bog; and I'm carrying it in with all speed to the gauger, to make a discovery, that the JANTLEMAN may benefit by the reward; I expect he'll make me a compliment.' 'Get up behind, and I'll give you a lift,' said the postillion.
'Thank you kindly--but better my legs!' said the man; and turning down a lane, off he ran again as fast as possible.
'Expect he'll make me a compliment,' repeated Lord Colambre, 'to make a discovery!' Ay, plase your honour; for the law is,' said Larry, 'that, if an unlawful still, that is, a still without license for whisky, is found, half the benefit of the fine that's put upon the parish goes to him that made the discovery; that's what that man is after, for he's an informer.' 'I should not have thought, from what I see of you,' said Lord Colambre, smiling, 'that you, Larry, would have offered an informer a lift.' 'Oh, plase your honour!' said Larry, smiling archly, 'would not I give the laws a lift, when in my power ?' Scarcely had he uttered these words, and scarcely was the informer out of sight, when across the same bog, and over the ditch, came another man, a half kind of gentleman, with a red silk handkerchief about his neck, and a silver-handled whip in his hand.
'Did you see any man pass the road, friend ?' said he to the postillion.
'Oh! who would I see?
or why would I tell ?' replied Larry, in a sulky tone.
'Came, come, be smart!' said the man with the silver whip, offering to put half a crown into the postillion's hand; 'point me which way he took.' 'I'll have none a' your silver! don't touch me with it!' said Larry.
'But, if you'll take my advice, you'll strike across back, and follow the fields, out to Killogenesawee.' The exciseman set out again immediately, in an opposite direction to that which the man who carried the still had taken.

Lord Colambre now perceived that the pretended informer had been running off to conceal a still of his own.
'The gauger, plase your honour,' said Larry, looking back at Lord Colambre; 'the gauger is a STILL-HUNTING!' 'And you put him on a wrong scent!' said Lord Colambre.
'Sure, I told him no lie; I only said, "If you'll take my advice." And why was he such a fool as to take my advice, when I wouldn't take his fee ?' 'So this is the way, Larry, you give a lift to the laws!' 'If the laws would give a lift to me, plase your honour, maybe I'd do as much by them.

But it's only these revenue laws I mean; for I never, to my knowledge, broke another commandment; but it's what no honest poor man among his neighbours would scruple to take--a glass of POTSHEEN.' 'A glass of what, in the name of Heaven ?' said Lord Colambre.
POTSHEEN, plase your honour;--becaase it's the little whisky that's made in the private still or pot; and SHEEN, becaase it's a fond word for whatsoever we'd like, and for what we have little of, and would make much of: after taking the glass of it, no man could go and inform to ruin the CRATURES, for they all shelter on that estate under favour of them that go shares, and make rent of 'em--but I'd never inform again' 'em.

And, after all, if the truth was known, and my Lord Clonbrony should be informed against, and presented, for it's his neglect is the bottom of the nuisance--' 'I find all the blame is thrown upon this poor Lord Clonbrony,' said Lord Colambre.
'Becaase he is absent,' said Larry.